Dance with the Devil
by orangepotato
Summary: A dangerous world that's changed dramatcially since he last remembered, Flynn Scifo becomes trapped in a web of lies and truths as he finds himself caught between an underground struggle and a dictator. Reality blurs and with it, the meaning of justice.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**This is my first Tales of Vesperia fanfiction and it's been a long time coming. I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while now and finally committed it to paper. It's a very complex form of AU that is rather difficult to categorize. **Just a quick, important note**-This fanfiction is overall rated T for teen, but there are instances where I believe some chapters need a slightly higher rating, such as T+ due to violence and suggestive themes. This story does contain bits of fairly mild yaoi(not what anyone is really expecting mind you), and if you are not comfortable reading it, please don't. These chapters will be clearly marked at the beginning of them, and I strongly advise that if you do not find it comfortable to read something above teen, do not read this story. It's not M worthy or I would be putting it in the M category, but if the T+ category existed, I would put it there. You have been forewarned. It starts just a tad slow but picks up rather quickly. As with any story, please read and review. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated, flames will not be tolerated and reviews will be enjoyed. Thank you.

-0-0-

Dance with the Devil  
"Here I stand, helpless and left for dead."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-

The castle was beautiful that morning, with the sun glistening off the polished white marble the building was made of. It had the shine of 'high and mighty' and probably made anyone who gazed upon it have thoughts of envy. The castle didn't seem old in any way, always carrying the appearance of 'newly built' even though it was decades old.

It was the highlight of the town, a symbol of unity and power, even though many were left suffering and discouraged in its shadow.

Though, ignoring this, anyone could see it was a marvel. The tall gothic windows allowed for plenty of light to filter into the castle, and allowed people outside to see into the beautiful building. The wonderfully furnished inside showed how much money the royal family had, a living that many people outside the gleaming walls couldn't afford.

Regardless, it stood tall and glorious, many people admiring it from far and wide, but Flynn Scifo wasn't amused by the glamorous appearance.

He knew first hand how bad the empire was. The lengths they went to keep the castle in the spotlight of glory only deepened the shadows that the castle gave. So many people starved and died in the capital everyday, yet not a finger nor dollar went to helping them. Instead it went to helping the castle keep its beauty. It went to spoiling the rich people who spent money on the glorious building that stood up for the whole world to see. Resources were used to magnify the white gleam that the entire town could recognize.

Flynn, personally, hated it.

Unlike a friend of his though, the blonde had the will power to stay inside the castle walls as a knight, in specific, a captain. He'd risen in the ranks several times and finally made it to the height of captain in a few short years.

He'd come from the lower quarter, the poorest section of the city, and anyone and everyone had gossiped about him.

"He'll never make it further than a pawn."

"He's to poor to be great."

"He doesn't have the talent to be anything special. He'll just die in battle."

"He has no skill!" They'd laughed, "He is the son of a poor man, and he never had money to buy food, let alone train with a sword..."

But, Flynn had done what no one else had expected. He'd climbed, with great battle and many sleepless nights, and finally reached the rank of captain, to everyone's astonishment.

The day he received his title, the blonde had gotten many threats and glares from the locals who had all believed he was born to fail. A poor boy from the lower quarter wasn't supposed to be in the higher ranks along side nobles! But Flynn had proved them all wrong.

He was now a well-liked figure in the Imperial Knights, and loved by the common folk. He'd reached his dream... well, one of them.

Now he wanted to be Commandant. He wanted to change the workings of the laws from within. Give money to the poor, steal from the rich, change the government... a modern day Robin Hood. He wanted to be able to feed the people starving in the streets, house the homeless and provide for the children whose parent's abandoned them. He could list dozens of things that needed repair, but he wasn't in the right place to make those changes. Commandant was his goal, but he still had a ways to go.

The light spring air whistled around his blonde locks and tickled his face. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to enjoy himself with a simple walk.

Normally, people were hustling and bustling across the sidewalks, folks were asking for help from him with daily duties or meeting plans, but today was completely different. For some reason, the castle was at a calm sense of peace, and the captain could finally pleasure himself with a walk.

Beside him walked a woman. She was only there for a visit, she'd informed him, but he enjoyed her company nonetheless.

"Oh, the flowers are in bloom!" She squeaked.

Flynn chuckled to himself while she hurried herself over to the flowerbed, her pink dress dancing around her.

"Flynn, look, they planted the roses!" She gazed upon the newly born flowers in amazement.

"Yes Princess Estellise. Even though you are hardly present anymore because of your travels, I requested them to be planted."

Estellise looked up to Flynn with a look of both happiness and confusion,

"You certainly didn't need to Flynn."

"I wanted to…"

She gave him a warm smile, her blue green eyes sparkling some in the spring sun,

"That was very thoughtful of you."

Flynn felt his heart hammer some in his chest, but he quickly ignored it. He coughed a bit to hide his embarrassment, and was about to comment about something else when his name was shouted in the distance. He sighed inwardly, knowing that all that could mean was trouble.

Turing around, he gave his caller a questioning look, "what is it Sodia?"

Sodia, a bright knight with orange shoulder length hair saluted quickly, "Sir, we found something unusual in the basement of the castle. The Commandant told me to come get you." Her harsh cat like eyes stared, determined, into his, and she stood perfectly erect.

"The Commandant?"

Estellise gave Sodia a concerned look,

"Is it dangerous?"

The lieutenant jumped a bit, as if she hadn't noticed the princess's presence,

"Oh, Lady Estellise!" It was hardly an answer, and the cat eyed knight struggled to put some coherent words together, "um, yes…" she directed her answer back at Flynn, as if he'd asked the question in the first place, "The Commandant wanted your immediate return."

Flynn nodded, turning towards Estellise,

"Princess, I'm sorry…" He started but she waved a gloved hand at him,

"Don't worry, I understand." She smiled again, even if it was a bit sad, but a knowing expression filled her eyes. She understood that Flynn had a job to do.

The captain felt his heart beat increase again, but he once again ignored it. Those types of feelings towards the princess were not exactly politically correct. He turned then, with a goodbye, and walked briskly behind Sodia, who led the way to the basement.

Once they were out of earshot from the princess, Flynn thought out loud, "something unusual in the basement"? It sounded more like a horror story than actual truth. Of course, it was the Commandant that had sent for him, and it wasn't like the man to tell a lie.

The blonde couldn't help but wonder what was going on. The Commandant was asking for a newly promoted captain to come to his bidding? Working under the Commandant was really more of Schwann's or Cumore's role, not his, so he had to ask himself the purpose of this journey.

The basement stairs were steep, so Flynn took them slowly. They had been slightly worn with age, faded lines indicating places people before him had stepped, but being a part of the castle that wasn't frequently updated, it had fallen into slight disrepair. Some of the old brick the castle's foundation had been built on were visible from the steps, the red shades sharply contrasted with the yellow lamplight that had been brought down.

To Flynn's knowledge, most of the basement had been sealed up twenty or thirty years ago for safety reason, and it was by His Imperial Majesty Ioder's command that the basement be dug out. It had been a mystery to several higher ups within the military and council branches for many years; what did the people of twenty or thirty years ago want to hide?

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his eyes automatically gazed to the "unusual" something in the basement.

It was a large floating stone. Shades of several blues coated its surface, but the most predominate shade was a bright sky blue that seemed to bubble under the hard surface. The thing's very core seemed to vibrate, and the audible noise in the room shook the foundation.

"This is what we found." Sodia, still in her stark position, pointed to the object in question. "We haven't done anything with it yet, the Commandant said to find you first. He went to tell His Imperial Majesty about the findings, and said he'd report back soon."

"Thank you Sodia." Flynn took a few steps closer, his eyes awed.

It didn't resemble anything that he'd seen in his life. It looked similar to a large blastia, but the term didn't seem to stick well with the stone that floated in the middle of the room.

The captain's hand went to the side of his belt, but his fingers found nothing of value. He hadn't brought his sword?

"Does anyone have a weapon?"

A few confused grunts came from the small mass of guards that stood near the entrance. After a moment of trifling about and quick murmurs, a guard handed a sword over to Flynn, who grasped it tightly.

With careful movements, Flynn shuffled forwards, sword extended. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was better than staring at the object in awe.

Many of the guards started voicing their complaints, but a quick glance over Flynn's shoulder shut the men up.

Sodia, instead, perked up at her commander's movements, "sir, you probably shouldn't touch it without the Commandant's-"

But it was to late…

The sword touched the floating mystery, and Flynn felt a sharp burning pain in his hand, and a bright light engulfed the basement.

The blonde felt like his skin was on fire, and every nerve in his body began to scream as an invisible force shoved its way through his body.

A clatter of metal hitting the floor, and the light faded, leaving no trace of Flynn or the floating stone anywhere.

-0-0-

Pit-pat.

Pit-pat.

"Something's hitting my head..."

Pit-pat.

"Something wet?"

Pit-pat.

"Wha? Rain?"

Flynn opened his eyes slowly, only to shut them quickly.

Rain was pouring out of the sky, and the air carried a feeling of dread. He was lying with his back on the ground, mud seeping through his clothes, soaked to the bone, his uniform sticking to his skin.

He was also cold. Very very cold.

He sat up slowly, not sure of his surroundings. The pain he'd experienced only a moment ago seemed far away, but his body still felt weak. Carefully, he opened his eyes, clearing the water from his face and bangs. It didn't help much, but it was enough for him to see his surroundings much more clearly.

He was in a meadow.

The sky was gray, the grass brown and the air felt heavy. Flynn couldn't believe what he was seeing... no where on Terca Lumireis was there a place such as this, so it begged the question, where the hell was he.

Slowly, the captain stood up, gazing further into the horizon. Grass greeted his vision for miles. In the far distance, he could see what looked like the outline of treetops.

It was miles and miles of dead meadow and rain. Lots and lots of rain. Nothing like the capital he'd been in previously with its clean air and globs of people. If anything, the place he stood in now was the exact opposite. The air wasn't clean, there was no one around gawking at the castle in all of its glory; there was just a damp, dismal, practically dead meadow.

"Sodia?"

Flynn spun around, looking for his subordinate, but not seeing her, "Anybody?"

He looked around desperately, hoping against hope that someone who appear out of nowhere and tell him what was going on.

He took a couple of steps forwards; unsure of his course of action. Was it the right thing to do?

Truthfully, he didn't feel like leaving the area, he just wanted to get back to the capital, see his friends and comrades again. He wouldn't even mind weeks of paperwork or hours of meetings day after day just for a bit of information on where he was or a familiar face.

Another couple of steps...

The captain knew that really, if you get lost, you're suppose to wait in the area you are in until someone finds you, that way you aren't moving around while another person is searching high and low for you, so he really needed to stay here and wait for Sodia or someone else to find him, but that only counted if Sodia and the others knew where he was.

Hell, he didn't even know where he was.

He decided then, that he'd have to move forwards. As soon as he found a town, he could stay at the inn and send a message to the capital. He had enough money on his persons that staying for days at an inn, even the most expensive, wouldn't put a dent in his budget. At least it was better than standing in the rain, and it was a plan of action, so he headed off.

The rain made it hard to see, and he found that walking was a challenge in and of itself.

His boots didn't do well in the nasty muddy ground. He slipped and fell several times, finding that it was hard to keep his balance.

On one instance, he fell hard, his hands barely catching his fall before his face smacked into the mud. A sharp, quick pain floated across his body and for one second, Flynn wanted to lay down and give up for awhile. He let the rain pelt against his skin, the cold numb washing over like a blanket.

"This is hopeless," Flynn stated, not really feeling despair as much as resign. It hadn't been that much of a walk yet, but his legs were tired and his arms sore from constantly catching his fall.

Shifting a bit, the blonde gazed at his hands, remembering the burning sensation that had come from touching the odd object in the basement. Long since gone, the only indication that something had happened at all was a patch of flesh that had bubbled up. It followed where he'd hold a sword and hurt with a simple poke.

Which made falling all that much harder.

He sighed deeply, contemplating giving up his mud dance, when he shifted his head a bit and spied what looked to be a city on the horizon.

He couldn't make out a sign, or any form of town recognition, but the blonde felt his spirit lighten when his eyes traced the skyline of the town.

He didn't know what the city could hold, but it probably had an inn.

With renewed energy, the captain pulled himself off the ground and wandered through the mud towards his destination, but what he found wasn't anything as promising as he'd hoped for.

Barbed wire stretched around the perimeter of the town, which consisted of small wooden houses. The large metal front gate was open, leading down a mud path towards what seemed to be the center of town. No one was outside, but Flynn could see several long ditches dug into the mud. Shovels were scattered nearby, and a small well stood prominently near the ditches...

"The hell?" he whispered, keeping his voice down. A small part of him screamed danger, but another part of him was curious. Sure, fear trumped them all, but what was this place? For some reason, it felt familiar to his feet as he stepped around the barbed wire and through the wide open doors.

Flynn wandered in cautiously, taking small steps, and keeping a constant lookout. Nothing seemed suspicious or out of place, but he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that came with each footstep; nor could he shake the small bouts of dread that leaked into his stomach with each squish of his feet against mud-

"Halt!"

The blonde froze as he felt a sword come to the back of his neck. His hand instinctively went to his own hilt, only to be cruelly reminded that he didn't have his weapon.

Vaguely he wondered about the sword he'd used to touch the stone with, but a poke from the receiving end of the other man's blade tossed that thought aside.

More blades made their way to Flynn's throat; several were centimeters away from making a fatal cut. Many of the guards, helmets blocking their faces from view, snorted through their faceplates.

With a loud gulp, the captain slowly raised his hands into the air.

There were some soft murmurs as his hands were grabbed and roughly pulled behind him. Shackles were placed on his wrists, and he was shoved onto his knees. He grunted in pain, but said nothing. Through several months of practice and hardship in knight training, Flynn had learned when to stay silent, obviously this was one of those times.

"What should we do with him?" a knight asked, apparently not the one in charge.

Another knight replied, "Go get Sir Cumore, he'll know what to do."

"Cumore?" Flynn thought, "Is Cumore involved with this event?" It certainly raised questions in the captain's mind. Cumore wasn't known for his fair play and honesty. It wouldn't surprise the blonde one bit to hear the elder captain was involved in something as confusing at this, but Flynn remained silent as before.

It took several minutes for the rival captain to arrive. In that time, the mud had soaked through to Flynn's tan skin and the rain had matted his bangs to his face. He'd slumped over, losing his perfect "captain" posture simply because he was tired, but when Cumore arrived, the blonde straightened up, allowing some dignity back into his otherwise poor state.

"Who do we have here?" Cumore asked, his feminine face twisting in malice.

Flynn watched as the rival captain crossed his nimble arms over his torso, and with a casual flip, he tossed his hair out of his face.

"We found him infiltrating the camp. What do you want us to do with him?"

Cumore seemed to think about it, his face breaking into a pondering expression, and his lips pursed as he gazed down at the blonde as if he was a worm. The overall feeling Cumore gave off was one of disgust, as if he'd been interrupted while he was in the middle of something important and wanted to get back to it.

"I should ask Scarlet. He usually likes to make these kinds of decisions. Give me a second."

Cumore turned on his heel, and the only visible in the ever-increasing pit-pat rain was his pink coat flaps billowing behind him.

As the rival captain left, Flynn relaxed. Everything around him was drawing down on his mind, and he didn't need to have Cumore mixed in with it. He breathed out deeply, allowing his eyes to slip shut for a moment of peace.

Chilled air rushed him, and the rain made him shiver violently, but other than that, the captain could happily say he was in a fine physical state. Mentally, though, he couldn't relax. How he wished the water could brush against his mind for a moment, just to allow the same calming pause that was going through his body. Of course though, the blonde thought to logically for that. His mind scanned recent memories, trying to add things that were simply not worth the effort to add.

His brain processed the dead meadow, the frightening camp he now kneeled in, the odd presence of Cumore, and now something new. Scarlet?

If he was still near his hometown, Flynn found it hard to believe that he'd never heard of a man named Scarlet. The name itself was strange, and the blonde, who usually remembered everything, found it a bit disconcerting that he was drawing a blank.

So, was Scarlet an enemy, or a friend?

Another couple of minutes passed as Flynn pondered the new questions. Rock, meadow, camp, Cumore, Scarlet… it didn't make a whole lot of sense, and no matter what order the events were put in, the results were the same.

Something was amiss, and Flynn had stepped right into it.

Cumore was surly playing with the blonde. He wanted Flynn to be confused. This was all probably connected to some sort of promotional thing. Cumore had been one of the captains most vocal about Flynn's status and rank. The noble captain had found it highly degrading to be working along side a man who'd actually had to work to live all his life.

That had been what made the blonde dislike the blue haired man in the first place. He couldn't stand people who believed them better than everyone else.

So what was Cumore planning? Some sort of situation to have the new captain demoted, some sort of scheme that made it so Flynn had to quit the knights?

When the rival captain came back, he carried a new look on his face. This one though, Flynn couldn't place...

"Scarlet decided that we should put this one to work... he could be part of the rebellion. Scarlet said, and I quote, we should work him to death and see what the precious rebellion thinks then." The sneer on the rival captain's face made the blonde's blood boil.

Some of the guards laughed, giving off handed comments about one thing or another, while others gave a snort. Everyone except Flynn Scifo found it funny.

A laugh escaped the rival captain, and then he raised his head, gaze looking down his nose, "what's your name?"

Flynn rolled his eyes in anger. The captain was raised up to meet eye level with Cumore, who looked curiously into the blonde's face, "You look familiar..."

"I'm Flynn Scifo."

Cumore erupted into a fit of laughter, some of the other guards mingled in as well.

Flynn held in a scowl. What was so funny to the rival captain?

"Flynn Scifo? You lie... what's your real name peasant?" Cumore growled, all traces of humor gone in his face.

Flynn couldn't help but think the rival captain was laying it on a little thick, "you know hell well that I'm not lying Captain Cumore. I'm Flynn Scifo, Captain of the Imperial Knights, Flynn Brigade."

Immediately after saying that, he received a swift punch in the stomach. The captain couldn't help but gasp in pain. He winced a little and looked back up at Cumore, "I could have you expelled from the Imperial Knights for assault of a Captain!"

Cumore laughed again, the humor back. Whatever he'd found so funny, he'd found again, "Imperial Knights? They don't exist anymore, and neither does Flynn. He died six years ago."

-0-0-


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Part one

"Close your eyes, so many days go by, easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right..."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

* * *

Flynn Scifo could hardly breath.

It was as if the entire world had frozen and nothing seemed to move. The rain no longer bothered him, the fact that he was encased in mud didn't matter anymore and the swift jolting pain in his stomach didn't faze him. His mind was stuck on a wheel that had stopped turning. His brain had locked itself, barred itself as time wrapped itself in ice.

He didn't understand.

He wasn't dead, he didn't die six years ago, he was still alive, this Flynn knew for a fact. Nothing else could account for the fact that he was here, breathing; he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. The numbing rain grazed against his skin, Flynn could feel it all. The ebbing pain that pinched his stomach and the shock that his brain was desperately trying to run its gears through…

Cumore was lying. Cumore was wrong.

"I'm not dead." Flynn growled, though it came out only as a whisper... more like he was surprised than angry, "I'm right here..."

"I don't know what rock you crawled out from, but it's the end for you now... you'll work in this camp till you die. Now, tell me your name."

The captain barely heard what the man had said. It wasn't true, something was amiss, something wasn't right. There had to be a logical explanation for what was happening now-

"Forget it," Cumore sneered, "we'll just call him Flynn for now... throw him into the cabin with K-18. That common rabble could use a new 'friend'."

Several knights replied positively and Flynn only half felt himself being dragged off.

He didn't notice the bleak scenery, the wooden shacks and the eyes that were peaking out of the poor excuses of windows in each house. He didn't notice the place becoming more condensed or the fact that he was being dragged deeper and deeper into the messy mud streets of the camp. Never once did he comprehend the way the slanted roofs of the shacks bent in the wind, giving off hints of the buildings unsound structure. He didn't even notice the ruins of washed out wood that stood erect in the mud. The twisting wreckage that had probably been someone's house, now sat in silence as the weary day went on. It wasn't till he was sharply thrown into a timber house that he became aware of his surroundings.

From inside, the rain could still be heard making pit-pat noises against the wood. The wind wheezed as it weaseled its way into the cracks of the house, and the air was musty.

There were two small mattresses to one side of the shack, and a small coffee table sat in another corner. A metal bucket was in the third corner, and the last corner was bare. The room was small, and smelled foul, moist and disgusting, the wooden walls having a few boards loose that would shake in the wind, allowing water to pool on the floor in small moist coves.

Flynn gawked at the small living space, his mind barely catching up to his body as he heard the door close solidly behind him.

His thoughts wandered as his eyes roamed the inside of the building again. He let his eyes linger on the holes and puddles, the bed and the floor, not really taking anything in. It was like his mind was still stuck outside in the rain, although he could only hear a whisper of the pit pat from the inside.

Taking a shaky breath in, the blonde tried to calm the rapid beating of his heart. Whatever was going on, his body wasn't handling it well, and it was all the captain could do to stifle the effects of a panic attack before one hit.

No more Imperial Knights? Even he was supposedly dead?

He took more breaths in and out. There was nothing he could do to stop himself. A full fledge panic attack settled on him and he desperately heaved in and out in some sort of attempt to cease the fear rising in his chest.

"Hey," he heard close beside him.

The voice sounded wavy, like it was vibrating alongside the rhythmic yet rapid beating of his heart.

"Hey, you okay?"

Flynn squeezed his eyes shut, willing everything to stop… and so it did.

* * *

The world around Flynn was black. Drifting in and out, it seemed like everything had slowed down to a snail's pace. Pieces of his memory floated by on waves, and somewhere deep inside his psyche, he knew he needed to grab them, hold on to them with all of his might.

So he'd reach a hand out, his fingers touching the cold endless rain that washed through his thoughts, desperatly trying to hold on to the pieces… then he'd miss.

He'd try again and miss again. It was like he couldn't grasp something that was now out of his reach.

No, it wasn't really out of his reach. It was more like it was in a different spectrum all together. Somewhere far off, the memories floated together and he was unable to catch them.

Deep inside Flynn's heart, he felt sorrow build up. It bubbled underneath something so dark and sinister, yet he couldn't place it in the slightest. Something was masking the sorrow as much as it was building it up.

It burned his lungs with each shallow breath, and ultimately, the coil of the unknown emotion boiled against his throat…

His mouth…

Flynn sat up quickly. The darkness disappeared in a flurry of bright lights and the blonde was barely able to fling himself up before everything that had settled inside of his stomach forcefully came up.

His body arched in as he threw up, the lost contents of his stomach rolling across the floor.

Lightheadedness swarmed him as he desperatly attempted to regain composure, but to no avail. Minutes later after gagging and sputtering, his cotton filled head heard a yelp from inside the damp room. Moments later, a ridged pat on the back aided him as he coughed out the last of the bile in his stomach.

It was terribly confusing. The blonde fought with himself as several questions rose inside him. Who else was inside the room with him? Were they friend or foe? What was going on?

Every nerve in his body screamed at him to fall back down and go to sleep, but he forced himself to turn a bit to the face of the man who sat behind him.

Although squatting, Flynn could tell that the person was no more than a teenager. The teen had brunette hair that hung in his face, oddly cut. Some of the patches of hair were so short they stuck up in rough spots across his head. His clothes were nothing more than rags from what Flynn could see, but it was the teen's eyes that really caught the blonde.

Eyes that seemed to have once been a different color, that had once probably glittered and sparkled with emotion, were gray, as if the rain had washed his very identity away.

Flynn's body was numb and his mind still tingled from previously, but somewhere inside himself he managed to speak,

"Who are you?" It was nothing more than a whisper, and a part of the captain wished he hadn't been so weak at the moment.

The teen stared for just a half of a second longer before responded, caution in his voice,

"K-18."

It was hardly a name but the blonde decided not to argue with it. Somewhere deep in his memory he recalled Cumore saying something about 'K-18',

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? You're the one who's throwing up in my cabin," there was a harshness in his voice that made Flynn wince, but there was also a tone of concern, like the teen hadn't always been that unkind.

Choosing not to bother with pleasantries and political politeness, Flynn pushed forward,

"Cumore sent me in here, that's all I really know."

The brunette turned his head away with a 'tsk',

"Cumore."

Somewhere inside the teen something was bubbling but there didn't seem to be enough energy to put that sensation into action.

Flynn wanted to continue a dialog with the other inside the room but wasn't sure how exactly to continue when the teen wasn't paying attention. He cleared his throat for a moment, causing his entire body to tingle.

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to clear his throat just after he'd thrown up…

"Excuse me?"

K-18 turned his head,

"What?" Again with more brutality than it seemed the teen could muster, "what do you want now?"

"I just wanted to thank you for helping with… this." Flynn motioned half-heartedly towards the mess he'd made.

"Just don't think I'm cleaning it up too. It already stank in here and you freaking out and spewing chunks on the floor didn't help." The teen pulled away and wandered around to the small table in the corner. He sat there, resting against the side of the wooden cabin.

"Yes, I know," Flynn commented.

Silence filled the room and for the first time since he'd woken up, Flynn heard the pit pat of the rain against the roof. It seemed harder than before, blowing with a cruelty that would make any person who dared wander out into it regret the decision. Shuddering, the captain pulled himself up a bit more, resting his back too, on the wall with the mattresses underneath him.

Flynn wanted to talk more, but the subject of what he'd just thrown up was not a pleasant one, and rather than figure out how he was to go about cleaning, he wanted to know just what in the hell was going on.

"Excuse me?"

The brunette seemed tired of talking even though they hadn't been talking for that long,

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not exactly sure where I am…"

"That really doesn't surprise me."

Flynn paused a moment at that, but never the less moved onwards,

"You see, I just…"

"It's rude to continue on in a conversation when I don't even know your name."

Again, Flynn paused. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to talk to this person. They were hot and then they were cold. Was there not equal footing he could get onto to have a decent conversation with the teen? It wasn't like he had much of a choice though. He'd have to reveal his name.

A memory of Cumore's mocking laughter built up in the captain's head as he whispered his name out loud,

"Flynn Scifo."

Something between a laugh and a chuckle came out of the brunette's mouth,

"Well, you certainly look like him."

"Please, tell what is going on!" Flynn demanded, anger building in his face. Was it really a trick, a sick game? That was what he really wanted to know.

"Going on?" K-18 asked, "in case you haven't noticed, the world is in slavery all thanks to Scarlet." The teen seemed disgusted with the name, as if it were an actual bad taste that he couldn't get out of his mouth, "it's his fault that everyone's here, it's his fault that the capital-"

"What happened to the capital?" Flynn gasped. The gears in his head were finally working again and he began to process what the teen was saying. Scarlet? Cumore had said that name before…

"You don't know? You must have been out of the loop for quite some time," he mocked, "the capital was destroyed six years ago when Scarlet invaded the city."

"No, that's not possible," Flynn shook his head, denying the entire subject, "I was just in the capital. There wasn't an invasion going on and it certainly wasn't being destroyed…"

"You really don't know what's going on here, do you?"

Flynn felt a wave of denial as well of a wave of courage flood his system. Of course the capital wasn't gone, of course it hadn't been invaded. He felt like he'd just spotted a hole inside the twisted story Cumore had come up with. Regardless of his reasons, the rival captain had set up this elaborate hoax.

Small anomalies tugged at his mind, such as the floating rock in the basement or the burn that still existed on his hand, but the denial swallowed those. Certainly there was something that explained the entire mess…

"I'm afraid you don't. Like I said, I was just in the capital-"

K-18 cracked a smile full of cynicism, "you really don't get anything… this is the capital."

Everything froze.

Flynn found he was unable to speak. Perhaps it was another part of Cumore's elaborate lie? Somewhere inside of him though, spoke the truth. Cumore couldn't think up something that complicated just as that simple explanation would not clarify anything. He was somewhere where reality bended and gave way to the impossible.

Whatever he wanted to call it, a dream, the future, insanity… he was there.

The brunette continued on as if Flynn's entire world hadn't shattered around him,

"Scarlet initiated a large scale assault on the capital and before anyone could do anything to stop him, he'd taken it over. Three days of barricades lead to thousands of innocents being slaughtered as Scarlet waited for Ioder to get the guts to stop him."

Flynn said nothing.

"Ioder had no choice but to come out of hiding," K-18 continued, "Though the council and the knights who remained after the initial attack didn't want Ioder to go, he insisted. A treaty was signed saying that if Scarlet stopped killing the innocents, the Empire would belong to him." He grew silent for a moment, a grave expression crossing his face. To Flynn, it seemed like the harsh exterior he exposed most of the time trembled as the teen remembered, "then Scarlet killed Ioder."

"He defied the treaty?" Flynn whispered. He felt his skin go ashen. Inside his soul he could feel a dark inkling, the one from earlier, in his subconscious, bubbling back up. Everything inside his body was numb and a pain burned from his heart.

K-18 was leading up to something…

"After he killed Ioder, Scarlet went on to murder the entire council, all of the knights, and made a public display of killing those in power in front of those who were left alive in the public quarters."

"He killed them all?"

"Yeah. He claimed that he wasn't violating the treaty at all because everyone he killed hadn't been innocent, and with no one there of authority to stop him, he did as he pleased."

For a moment, Flynn could see a softer side of the teen. He seemed weaker, more vulnerable, and in a way, childlike, but regardless, K-18 persisted,

"He was the one who publicly executed Flynn Scifo," the brunette gave a light wave towards the blonde, "and he killed the Commandant, the highest member of the council… even Princess Estellise was-"

Flynn cut him short,

"He murdered her highness as well!" Something deep within the captain snapped and he stood up. His mind begged him not to but it was to slow. Flynn immediately felt lightheadedness swarm him and his knees buckled a bit as he tried to keep his balance.

K-18 stood quickly, stepping around the mess to help the blonde.

"What are you doing?" A mix of concern and anger filled the teen's voice.

"He… he killed the princess?" Perhaps that was the thing that made him the angriest, but by far, was not the worst, "he almost killed the entire capital off! Even his Imperial Majesty Ioder! How could that happen… how dare he!"

As odd as it was, Flynn felt upset for what had happened. He'd taken an oath to protect the capital and it's citizens and yet, all of that had happened?

"It was six years ago!" K-18 shouted, "it's all in the past!"

As if an electric current jolted through his body, the captain felt a chill cool his body. It tingled like fire but it deadened all of his nerves beyond compare. The past? It was strange to hear of the era he'd just come from as 'the past'.

"Yes…" he stated quietly. He refused to try and make sense of it. There was no helping the situation he was in at the moment, so fighting it didn't seem the productive thing to do.

K-18 hesitated, as if it was odd to hear such words from someone who'd, just a few seconds ago, been enraged,

"Anyways," he began again, "soon after the events in the capital, Scarlet went to take on the entire world. It wasn't long before the Union fell to him as well. Every city belonged to that man in the span of a week."

"A week?" Flynn muttered in disbelief. He squatted down again, with the help of the teen. "How is that possible?"

"No one knows. Most people who would have an idea were killed during Scarlet's take over. The only people who survived would be in the rebellion."

Cumore had brought up the rebellion before, but Flynn decided not to ask about them. Just by looking into the teen's gray eyes, the blonde could tell that he honestly didn't believe a word of it. Perhaps to K-18, the idea of a group living in freedom was to painful to imagine when he was stuck behind a gate.

"What does that mean about the people enslaved in these camps?"

The brunette gave a humorless laugh, "it means we're all prisoners of war I suppose." He didn't add more to the subject and instead wandered back to the spot he'd previously occupied. "I don't really care what you want to call yourself here, but you'd better drop the 'Flynn Scifo' thing. Scarlet never took kindly to liars."

"But I'm not lying."

"Well, Flynn Scifo is dead, so you're not telling the truth either."

"Did you see him die?"

"No, I wasn't in the capital that day, but with the bloody massacre Scarlet used to take over, I doubt he'd left someone like that alive."

Flynn didn't feel like arguing with the teen. It was a pointless debate; he was no more 'Flynn Scifo' than the one that died six years ago. For all he knew, he was really in the future and a 'future him' didn't exists.

The only thing that made the blonde's blood boil though, was Scarlet. K-18 was obviously not very interested in learning more about where the man had come from, and was very much not interested in making the ruler angry, but that was all Flynn wanted to do.

"Scarlet doesn't like competition then?" Flynn stood quietly, the wooden boards of the floor squeaking and the mattress giving a sigh as he removed his weight from the ground.

The brunette jumped up, instantly startled,

"What are you planning to do?"

"What should be done by someone with my name."

"You don't have to do anything!"

"I am Flynn Scifo, regardless of what you say. As a knight, I made an oath to protect the city and it's citizens. If I can't do that here, than I'm not fit to be a knight."

"Do you want to die?" K-18 shouted, "Because that's what'll happen if you try to go against Scarlet."

"Perhaps dieing would remove me from this hell I'm in."

The teen said nothing to that. He stared blankly as Flynn left the cabin.

Sure it didn't make any sense and it was practically suicide, but if the blonde sat around for one more minute after hearing the things he had, what would it say about him? He had a code of honor he lived by, and even in his 'normal time' he wouldn't have stood for it. With a brave façade, he marched through the door and into the outburst of rain.

Mud circled around him, houses of every shape made a long narrow road for him to follow. He marched, as he would have as a knight, towards the area he'd been dragged from. No one else was in sight, but that was probably for the best.

"Scarlet!" Flynn screamed before he could stop himself, "Come out of hiding you coward!"

As he shouted those words, eyes peeked out from the broken windows of the cabins; all of them gray, but each carrying a different emotion.

Anger, wonder, fear, worry, shock, happiness… The captain saw more than he could count, but now he knew he had an audience.

"Where are you Scarlet!" He yelled.

The pit-pat rain muffled most of his cries, which only encouraged him to scream louder,

"Come out you bastard! Show yourself!"

The person who arrived was not the person he'd been calling for. Cumore arrived, a cluster of knights following close behind.

"Well, well, if it isn't Flynn Scifo."

The crowd around him laughed a bit as the rival captain's joke.

"You're not who I was asking for."

"Scarlet doesn't come for such pesky problems…"

Flynn narrowed his eyes,

"Show me where Scarlet is…" The emotion from before, from deep in his subconscious began to come forth again. It simmered underneath his skin, heating the surface so he could no longer feel the numbing pit pat rain.

"I think I can handle you just fine." Cumore waved his hands and his group of knights circled the blonde. Swords drawn, they closed in.

"You're going to kill me?" Flynn questioned, humor lacking in his voice. He felt venom in his words that he'd never felt before. They obviously had some effect on the rival captain, because a scared look set into his brow,

"Kill? No… no I'm not," he spoke with false confidence, "I'm not going to have you killed, but by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you were dead."

* * *

A/N: Reason it took longer than planned to release this chapter? Because I had to almost completely rewrite this chapter. I have, for the most part, this entire story typed up and somewhat edited, but I had never liked how I'd written this and the next chapter. I never rewrote it though, because I couldn't think of a better way to write it... until I had posted the first chapter. Then an idea clicked in my brain, and I'll probably be adding a bit to the story (things I had thought about but never commited to paper). Hopefully it won't take as long to type the next few chapters. This is part one and I'll get part two out as soon as possible. After this and chapter three get out, it should be adding parts in, but never rewriting an entire chapter.

Thanks for your patience! As always: read, enjoy and review.


	3. Chapter 2: part 2

Chapter Two: Part Two

Somewhere deep inside his mind, something begged him to stop this. He had power no one else possessed and yet, he was frozen.

No, frozen wasn't the correct word for it. There was no alien force that kept his body from functioning; in truth, he just simply refused to move. There probably wasn't a force alive that could make his legs move for him. No matter what the pleading voice asked for, there was no way he'd allow it.

Stopping something as maddening as his plan would only end in disaster, and since the planet was already heading that way…?

He turned from the window that faced the bleary outside world. Pit-pat rain hummed against the surface of the glass that shielded him, and he found the noise insufferable. He'd always hated the rain and now, it rained every day. No matter what was going on inside the world, rain drowned it away.

While he hated the rain, it did make for a charming effect on the locals. Silence and bleak obedience was useful even if he, himself, loathed the rain. He blamed several people for that hatred, but he honestly didn't know what it stemmed from. Though, in the downpour, it was easier to forget that he'd lived before the constant rain, it was easier to forget that he was responsible for practically everything.

Yes, it was easier to live a lie with the rest of the people as his puppets.

Besides, the world was a disgusting place that only water could clear away. And with that thought through his head, a clap of thunder sounded and the rain began to pour harder.

* * *

"Tie him to the pole!"

Knights grabbed Flynn roughly by the arms and dragged him across the camp. Try as he might, the captain couldn't free himself from the grasp of the men.

"What are you planning Cumore?" Flynn shouted, keeping the panic from his voice. He could handle pain if necessary, but a fear began to replace the spite that had so easily gotten him into the situation earlier.

"Planning?" Cumore spoke from behind him and the knights, "I guess you'll have to wait and see. I seem to recall that Flynn Scifo, back in that gilded age, was very found of surprises."

The blonde gritted his teeth together. Perhaps a surprise birthday party, but being dragged to a possible unknown demise was not something to look forwards too. Regardless, he kept his mouth shut. Cumore wasn't going ruin his plan by explaining things.

Finally, the thing Cumore had shouted about appeared.

A tall wooden pole sat lodged in the ground. It reached high into the sky, an estimate the captain could not get without water dripping into his eyes from the clouds. While it was a fairly simple set up, Flynn felt dread creep in from his toes. Just in the distance from the site, a wooden fence could be made out. At first, the blonde couldn't discern what he saw. All it took was a moment of recognition though, for that dread to turn into alarm.

Bodies were tied to the fence, each hung in different ways and each with or without appropriate body parts. The faces had been mutilated beyond compare and a lingering stench gently graced him upon recognition.

If the captain could have covered his nose, he would have.

"Welcome to my little courtroom." Cumore made a wide wave, smiling devilishly. "It's here where I decide if you're guilty or innocent."

Flynn held his tongue. As much as he wanted to complain about the obvious abuse of power, there was no way to really talk to a man like Cumore.

"Tie him up."

Flynn allowed the knights to tie his arms around the pole in front of him. In one move they ripped the cloth from his back and a momentary chill coursed down the blonde's spine.

"Twenty lashes for being outside when you were not suppose to be," the rival captain stated.

Flynn felt his heart go numb as he watched a knight hand a leather whip to the man who was stationed behind him. The rest of his body froze when he heard the leather uncoiling, twisting softly against itself as it unraveled.

Cumore continued, "forty lashes for insubordination…"

The wind seemed to wail and the storm overhead bubbled stronger as a dark clouds belly rumbled with thunder. It seemed like the entire sky was boiling over, waiting for the first strike, waiting to unleash whatever hid beneath the black clouds.

"And twenty more because I don't like you."

The first hit was a wave of pain and panic. Rain erupted from the sky and fell in droves as the wind began to pick up. It was like having an icy sheet of water sprayed at you from up close. It instantly cooled the first wound, only to have another hot thin strip of pain to fall on the captain's back.

Biting his lip, the blonde ignored the pain as it cooled and was quickly set ablaze, over and over again.

With each hit, stars flashed in his vision. Colors painted the areas in front of him. Sometimes blues, sometimes yellows and even reds splashed before him in a rainbow of shades. The colors quickly vanished though, swallowed by the black of the sky, then to be lit again in a flurry of sparks.

Flynn continued to bite his lip, an iron taste welling inside his mouth. He wouldn't let Cumore take pleasure in the beating, he simply wouldn't. Even though he knew that screamed would make it all better, that screaming would somehow take the edge off the pain, he could even make himself part his teeth from his lip. If he gave an inch, Cumore would have what he really wanted…

He squeezed his eyes closed so the tears wouldn't come. With each blaze against his back, he wanted cry more, to collapse on the ground and sob but he stood erect, grunting with the hits and blocking out the pain.

It felt like hours. The blonde had no idea if minutes had past or if years had, all he knew was that it hurt. The fire on his back was spreading to his legs and neck, licking up his body as if to consume him.

If he screamed, it would be all over. Was that a good thing? Did it matter if Cumore received pleasure from his actions as long as the blonde kept living because of it?

In the haze of thought, the fresh waves of pain ceased.

It took a long moment for Flynn to notice. Ebbing pain rolled down his back as the rain iced it over. A deep-set throb entered his muscles and the blonde began shaking uncontrollably.

Was it over? Why did Cumore halt his attack?

"Stop…"

It was only a whisper, barely audible above the pit pat rain, but the captain instantly recognized it.

"K-18?" Flynn willed himself to turn around. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the teen, the longer locks of his brown hair plastered to his face, his gray eyes focused and angry yet his legs shaking… "K-18?"

Cumore was staring at the teen as if he had two heads. The last bit of thunder clapped overhead and then a long moment of silence past.

"What do you mean, 'stop'?" Cumore spat.

"I mean," the teen took a deep shaky breath, "stop."

Flynn felt the power of the words even though he was further away. The brunette spoke them with clarity, with a demand even though he quivered.

"How dare you speak to me in that way!" Even the rival captain had heard it because he gritted his teeth and clenched the whip in a dramatic fashion. "I should have you killed for using that tone with me!"

"You're killing him!" the teen said, ignoring the threat against his life.

"He broke the laws, he should be punished!"

"Punished, but not killed!"

"What difference does it make to you? Don't tell me he's your friend?"

"Hell no," the brunette replied.

At that response, Flynn felt a little hurt.

K-18 continued with a quieter response. Something that seemed more thought through and more important. He spoke with confidence in something that deeply ingrained into his beliefs,

"But I will never let you kill one of my own."

Flynn felt something click in the recesses of his mind but he couldn't place it. Something on the tip of his tongue, but his mind refused to work. It had some vague importance and it felt like a vital key in the mystery he was trying to unlock.

"'Your own'?" Cumore sneered, pulling the captain from his thoughts, "how ridiculous. He's no more 'your own' than one of those dead people on the fence, but you can feel free to join them!" With flair, the rival captain raised the whip, the coils sliding against each other in their waterfall unravel, "you're going to wish you hadn't come to help 'your own'!"

It was like a flash. Something completely unexpected and uncontrolled,

"Cumore, don't!" Flynn screamed.

K-18 and Cumore both started. Several of the knights shuffled uncomfortably,

"I'm sorry for what I did and what I said, it won't happen again." The blonde took a shaky breath, feeling the tears sting his eyes as the pain coursed through him. For whatever reason, Flynn had protected the teen. It was probably because he was a knight. No one deserved the type of treatment the rival captain dished out, least of all K-18, a man who hadn't done anything wrong.

Another long silence filled the air. Rain trickled to the ground, the gushing waves no longer present as the weather became almost presentable. Clouds still hung in the sky but it seemed the terrible storm had come and gone.

A crack rang out and Flynn cried in pain. He felt the tears release themselves from his eyes as a fiery sting etched down his back. There was no chill this time, no icy rain to cool the effects as the lash continued to rip open the wounds that had only just begun to heal.

"Perhaps that'll teach you your lesson," was all Cumore said. He then turned, waved his arm and left, the knights following.

Suddenly, the blonde's knees buckled and he collapsed on the ground. His back ached and his body was ridged. Everything was on fire, but his insides were numb. A mix of fire and ice as he cried against the pole, he wasn't sure why he was crying, all he knew was that he was.

K-18 stood back a bit, as if not to embarrass the captain more by seeing him in such a sorry state.

While the blonde was thankful to the teen for that, he also could care less. All he wanted to do at the moment was cry, so that's what he did.

* * *

"You really shouldn't have done that you know."

Flynn ignored the comment as K-18 continued to wrap up the wounds with the supplies he'd been given.

A knight had come to the door, handed them some dry cloth and instructed that it only be used for injury purposes. After that, the man left with haste, as if he was insulted to just be near the two of them.

"It was really stupid."

"You mean going out there?" Flynn closed his eye and leaned forwards a bit. He felt the soggy yet comfortable mattress below him, K-18 squatting behind him, gently pressing the bandages to the blonde's back.

"Well, that's one thing."

"What you did was stupid too," the captain stated, "You shouldn't have risked your life like that."

"You really shouldn't be talking," the teen replied, wrapping the next layer of cloth a bit tighter than necessary to emphasize the point.

While that was true, Flynn didn't really feel like arguing about it.

Silence came to the cabin, the rain filling the void like a bittersweet lullaby.

"Cumore could have easily killed you."

The teen apparently didn't get the message that the blonde was not interested in talking,

"I know it wasn't exactly intelligent to run out there guns blazing, but what else was I suppose to do? Scarlet is the one who murdered so many people and now he sits cozy while the rest of society suffers, was I suppose to wait?"

"Yeah, waiting would have been good."

"But that doesn't save anyone's life! The longer Scarlet's in power the more people he kills."

"As if that was hard to figure out."

The brunette completed his wrappings. He scooted back and tossed the blonde a fresh pair of clothes,

"Here," he stated, "these are for you. They're not the best, but your old outfit is ruined."

Flynn stared at them for a moment then faced K-18,

"What's your problem anyways?"

"Problem?"

"Yes. You should know better than I how bad Scarlet is, even the people in this camp should know, but no one's done anything about it?"

"Did you forget? He took over the world in a week. I wouldn't go against that kind of strength even if you freed me."

"You're really content with living the way you do even if it means enslavement, mistreatment and suffering?"

"Hey, I'm not dead am I?"

"No, but would you really call this living?"

The teen was quiet for a moment,

"Living just means that you have the capacity to breath into the next day, I don't really think it should be much more than that." He stood up without a word, the floorboards squeaking their dismay,

"Perhaps you should adopt the same view."

It wasn't a question.

"So I should just roll over and give up."

"Whatever you want to call it."

"Why? Because Scarlet is so terrifying?"

"No, because Scarlet decides who lives and who dies."

"What gives one man that right?"

K-18 seemed angered by Flynn's advancements. He strolled to where the blonde stood, changing his clothes, and got in his face,

"Obviously being the ruler of the world has a little say in the matter."

"A whole group of you could over take him!"

"Sure, then why don't you go rally the troop? When Cumore catches you, we'll see if I'm in the mood to come save you again."

"You would really rather sit here and obey that sick man," Flynn spat, "then die trying to free yourself?"

The two stared each other down. As Flynn stared into the teen's gray eyes, he saw the desire to attempt anything. It seemed like it was something that had been built up over years of failure, and now it would never go away. Even with the rain, that part of the teen remained. A burning desire to do what was right for the people instead of the rulers.

That part though, was locked away behind the solid gray walls of K-18's eyes,

"What's your plan then? Join up with the rebellion? Let me give you a hint, the rebellion is a 'supposed'" the teen air quoted appropriately, "underground organization that is in hiding, waiting for the moment when Scarlet is at his weakest to come and free the world. You want to go find their hidden fortress? Be my guest…"

"We could escape, under the fence. Even if we're not running to the underground…"

"It's already been tried. But go ahead, when the electric currents kill you, I'll bury you in a nice place."

Flynn was getting fed up with the brunette's attitude,

"Then we'll just stroll out the front gate and find this 'underground rebellion'."

"Sounds like a great idea, I sure hope we don't get eaten by monsters."

"Why are you so opposed to escape? To freedom? To something that isn't this?"

"Live here awhile, then you'll understand. This place is hell, sure, but it's a lot worse out there. Monsters run amuck and there isn't a place to live if we escaped or if we freed ourselves. These camps are the only things still standing and as you can see they aren't that great."

Flynn wanted to comment but the teen continued,

"There is no more government, Scarlet's the only one. I don't think replacing the world leader with another one will work in our favor very long. There are no jobs, there are no businesses, it'd be a miracle if we all didn't kill each other within the first few days because there isn't any food!"

K-18 was angry, that much was evident. The blonde could see that desire again pounding against the gray walls, demanding to come out, as the teen ranted about the conditions they lived in. K-18 knew that doing nothing was stupid, he just knew that doing something and succeeding was stupid too.

"So please, shut up and survive. If this underground really exists, they'll save us all eventually, won't they?" He span on his heel and sat on the small table in the corner, staring at the wall. His legs were shaking again, but probably out of anger this time instead of fear.

Flynn sat back down on the mattress; his new clothes warm on his body.

"You don't believe in the rebellion, do you?" It was a dumb question that Flynn already knew the answer to.

"No…" the teen spoke without looking up at the blonde, "no I don't. They haven't given aid, shown a sign that they exists or even gotten rid of Scarlet."

"Maybe they're waiting for the right moment?"

"Waiting? They've been waiting for six years." He spat the words, "what are they going to do, wait another six? Ten? Twenty? Scarlet's to powerful. It's just a rumor, but he has something dramatic planned. People say in years, some even say days, but whatever it is, it's not good. Are they going to wait to come until after Scarlet's done with his plan to come stop him?"

"Why not believe they exists though? Why not have hope?"

The brunette's head snapped up, his eyes staring directly into Flynn's,

"Because hope is paralyzing."

"Certainly not-"

K-18 cut him off,

"No, I'd rather believe that I'm screwed over already. I don't want to continue to believe in something that had a higher possibility of not existing than existing. I don't want to keep that hope because all I'd do then was hope. I don't want or need my remaining will to be shattered because evidence comes up to show what's probably true; an underground movement doesn't exists."

There was a pain in the blonde's heart that really felt for the teen. He seemed so lost, so confused, something that Flynn was sure the teen hadn't felt in years. The brunette's facial features exhibited fear, anger, wonder, hurt, sorrow… so many emotions that it seemed like his face wasn't enough of a canvas and instead, the emotions were spilling into the air.

"Wherever you came from," K-18 said, "this isn't that place anymore. If you know what's good for you, you'll work here till you die. At least you can still breath the air every day… that's pretty hard to do if you're dead."

The teen turned away again, becoming engrossed with something on the wall.

Flynn decided not pursues a conversation anymore. It was a funny sort of irony that he had now. He hadn't wanted to talk in the first place, and now, all he wanted to do was speak.

Everyone was broken though. Each person who'd watched him run through the rain hours earlier hadn't stepped a foot outside to help, even K-18, who had the passion to help others couldn't beat the rain that wore everyone down.

That was what Scarlet wanted though, hope to be crushed.

Mindless slaves to do his bidding while he watched from comfort… it was those sorts of people that had made Flynn join the knights in the first place. Those sorts of injustices that had made his steadfast determination a reality. He didn't have any answers yet, but he knew what he was going to do now.

No matter what, before he returned to his real time, or whatever the hell it was, he was going to kill Scarlet. The ruler deserved to die, to drown in the blood that he's spilt…

Scarlet had wanted hope to disappeared, that much Flynn knew. But what Scarlet wasn't expecting was for hope to show up. Hope would destroy that man and free the people, regardless of the cost.

Hope was a blonde haired, blue-eyed knight.

Hope was Flynn Scifo.

* * *

She listened to the rain as it gently pounded against the ceiling.

It'd been forever since she hadn't heard the sound, but even now, it seemed like something new. A constant pit pat that edged its way into her mind even when she slept; a consistent melody forever sung in a minor cord…

The rain was depressing, but she tried to shove the thought away. No matter what, she wouldn't allow the rain to dampen her mood or her day.

Progress was being made, even if it was a long time coming. Finally, results for the first thing they had set out to do.

Her skirt shuffled as she walked briskly down the hallway, many doors open, and the noises of those rooms mixing well with the rain.

"Ma'am!" A voice called.

She instantly recognized it and turned. Behind her was one of her most trusted friends and her most dependable workers,

"There's something you should know. One of our scouts reported something odd, and I think you should take a look at it."

She nodded briskly,

"Yes, I'll come immediately."

Her friend disappeared and she was left alone again, the rain and white noise blending together.

On a hurried note, she moved towards the information room, a gentle hum escaping her lips. As odd as it was, even though she hated the rain, it made for a lovely starter to a melody.

* * *

A/N-And there's the second part of chapter two. I like this version a lot better, I must say. (For all of you readers who never even had a chance to see the first version, consider yourself lucky.)

Thanks to all of my reviewers! You help inspire me to continue this story. If it weren't for all of you, this story wouldn't even be up in the first place. Thanks also to all of you who read the story, even if you don't leave a comment. This story is also made possible by interested readers like you.

Action picks up next chapter, and an unveiling perhaps?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 3

A/N-Please disregard this. One of my annoynomys reviewers made a comment I'd like to reply to, so if you're not Fishy, please don't worry about this. :) Fishy, I believe that's my main issue with this story. I prefer Yuri's character to Flynn, so it's hard to not write Flynn with Yuri's personality. :) I will try to keep him in better character, the beginning of this chapter shows that, but I can't make any promises(i just like Yuri way to much). Thank you so much for the reivew though, it was extremely helpful! Glad you're enjoying the story.  
Orangepotato

Chapter Three

"Say goodbye, as we dance with the Devil tonight. Don't you dare look at him in the eye. As we dance with the Devil tonight."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

* * *

Never before, in Flynn's entire life, had something burned so strongly in his chest.

It seemed that it was impossible to swallow the feeling that had engulfed him only a number of times before. At first, it was a simple prick, a poke against his skin. It was an irritant for perhaps a couple of seconds, then it disappeared leaving a hollow breath in its wake.

Now, it boiled in his stomach.

Intense hatred, fear and passion continued to build itself up, climbing higher and higher until, Flynn feared, it'd reach his mind. The emotion that he couldn't place, the feeling with no name, would take over his entire being and he'd be forced to act.

He'd already done some pretty stupid things.

Jumping straight into combat wasn't his style and yet he'd adopted it out of anger. It'd obviously been a bad idea because now he leaned against the wooden walls of the cabin, the pit pat rain echoing against his thoughts.

His back ached with a fire that wouldn't go away. All the while, his insides remained frozen.

Night, he assumed, since the outside world seemed blacker than usual, gave him a gentle reply. It seemed the storm that had raged hours ago had left a lamb instead of a lion.

Flynn sighed as his mind whistled and hummed through the stacks of information it had accumulated. Some of the piles didn't add up, but instead of fighting back and forth in his mind for a logical answer, he let it be.

The old saying 'let sleeping dogs lie' came to mind.

The information the blonde was dealing with was a plan to take down Scarlet.

It was just the mention of that name that caused the emotion to thrash inside his ribs. Flynn clutched his chest as the phantom pain coursed through his body.

"Scarlet…"

He let the feeling slide. It slithered back into the darkness it toiled in, and the captain was left alone with his thoughts.

Scarlet deserved to die.

The moral and political impact of the decision would have to wait until after the man's death. Until then, Flynn had to formulate a plan that either got him to where Scarlet was or got the ruler to where the blonde was.

Running out wasn't a good plan. It hadn't worked last time; it most certainly wasn't going to work a second. As for staging an uprising? No one in the camp was in the mood for that. Even K-18 had shuttered at the idea, which was a shock because it was obvious the teen had the desire to get rid of Scarlet as well.

What other option was there other than to find the rebellion?

Flynn closed his eyes at that.

The rain softly gave a sob, like a child, and for one second, it seemed to Flynn that the rain itself was crying.

With that outrageous thought, the blonde stood up. His muscles protested with shooting pains, but he ignored it all. He set his sights on a window that faced to walkway to the house. A brown musty curtain hung in front of it, as if it served a purpose, and the wooden frame was cool to the touch.

With a flick of his wrist, he flipped the curtain away and gazed into the dark sky.

Clouds hung low, covering any stars that could have possibly been seen. The moon was peaking though, threw the clouds, the light setting a pale atmosphere amongst the camp. The gentle sigh of the rain made the mood outside almost serene.

If the captain didn't know any better, he'd say it was almost beautiful.

The rain cried again, a moan that almost seemed human.

"A rebellion."

It was a statement set firmly on his lips.

Somehow, someway, he had to get out of the camp. Regardless of what lurked outside, it was better than what waited for him inside the mud-ridden cabins.

With a flourished twirl on his heel, Flynn walked towards the center of the room. He treaded quietly but with a steadfast determination.

No more jumping into action, no more heroic yet suicidal actions. Whatever had gripped him before, he now had to fight it. Even with the still unnamed emotion lurking underneath his skin, Flynn knew that now he needed to act like his old self more than ever… even if that old self really was supposed to be dead.

He straightened his coarse blue tunic, shuffling uncomfortably in it for a moment. He wasn't use to the fabric, but according to K-18, it was the only fabric Cumore wasted on the commoners.

Another bubble of anger came at the name of Cumore.

That sick twisted man…

Sighing, the captain put on his boots, which sat near the door, and quietly opened the door. This time there would be no running around, this time there would be no screaming, there would only be scouting.

Escaping would have to wait until later.

* * *

Days past.

Among the many things Flynn noticed, it was that it constantly rained.

There was never a moment of peace. The heavy rain filled the day, filled with the gentle, crying rain at night. It was as if the sky sensed what the people of the world were going through and knew the only correct weather response was a down pour of water droplets from the clouds.

Even though it set the mood, it did little to help the workers in the camp.

Flynn grabbed a shovel from the rack.

The entire thing was made of metal. Its steel shovel had a misshaped point on the end, almost like a malformed mountaintop, but Flynn preferred it the most. It was out of place like he was, but he kept that feeling to himself.

K-18 quickly took a shovel as well, walking through the rain as it pit patted down.

"Hurry up," he called.

The blonde nodded, following close behind.

The two traced their normal steps of the day. They hiked from the shovel stand to the lines of ditches that ran along the fence walls of the camp. People were already hard at work inside the ditches, digging the mud out and tossing it to enslaved workers who were busy up top shoveling that mud away.

For the days Flynn had worked, it seemed like they hadn't gotten anywhere. With the constant rain, it simply watered down the holes and returned the mud from the previous day back with the waters continuous streams that flowed into and threw the ditches.

Down the tracks, where K-18 and the blonde worked though, there were workers who had dug their ditches fairly deep, having gotten wood from somewhere to prop up the sides. To Flynn, it looked like an open-air mine shaft. Regardless of their obvious progress though, they still worked all day, making the ditch deeper.

"Do you know why everyone's doing this?" Flynn questioned.

K-18 sighed hard,

"No."

He was probably fed up with all of the questions Flynn had already asked.

"Surly Cumore told you."

"No, he told everyone to dig."

The blonde exhaled loudly, shoving the awkward metal tip into the ground. It sank in quickly, a gurgle like sound coming from the brown goo underneath them.

In one expert move, he got the mud out of the ground and over his shoulder.

He continued his work hard and fast. He didn't want to stall. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention from the guards, who were stationed every couple feet at the tops of the ditches. Some, in nicer uniforms watched from under a tent that had been set up, or from a distance, swords in hand.

The entire situation reminded Flynn of something out of his history textbook, though he couldn't remember what.

"Stop staring," K-18 muttered.

He'd been staring? Flynn blinked a second before focusing back on his work. It was such a tedious job that the blonde allowed his mind to wander. It went through different memories. Ones with bright colors and others tainted with this worlds grays and blacks. So many different things that at times he found himself angry and then a sorrow like no other consumed him when Estellise's face returned to his mind.

Then, he'd remind himself that he needed to stay focused, and it'd all start over again from there.

"Hey," K-18 spoke, breaking the blonde from his cycle, "did you see that?"

Flynn perked up for a moment. He glanced up to meet the brunette's gaze, only to see him staring off towards the fence a ways down.

It took a second for Flynn to get his mind to focus through the rain and see the green foliage on the other side of the fence. He stared for as long as he dared and was about to ask the teen what exactly he'd seen when the captain saw something move.

A flash of blue and a rustle of green took its place.

He wanted to ride it off as some monster or a bird of some kind, but hope built in his chest faster than his logical more pessimistic side could. Was someone outside?

Had they always been there or had they escaped?

Then an even more daring question filled his head, what if it was someone from the rebellion?

* * *

Had she been seen?

She turned quickly, hiding herself amongst the greens and yellows of the bushes and trees that flanked that side of the camp.

It was an awkward instant of holding her breath and looking through the leaves to watch the eyes of the people in the camp.

Most of their expressions would have been hard to make out, but for her, it was easy. She focused, just a second, on each person's face, and noted the expressions.

All of the important people, whom she checked first, hadn't noticed. The guards' faces remained passive and bored, which was easy to tell even behind the helmets. As for the workers?

Her eyes fell on them all one by one, searching their faces for any sign that they had spotted her. Relief was about to wash over her when she noted a blonde heard pop up next to a brunette one.

The blue eyes of his scanned the area and all the while she kept very still.

Had he seen her and was looking again to confirm his sighting? Perhaps he was just gazing at the scenery outside?

If it had been anyone but her, they probably wouldn't have caught the change in the blonde's face. It went from searching to a subtle yet well hidden form of hope.

Her heart beat a bit faster in her chest as she shifted away from the camp. She'd just compromised her position and had to move, now.

Her boots gripped the mud as she trotted quickly and quietly through the green.

She hoped that that man wasn't loyal to Scarlet. It would be the least of her worries then. If Scarlet learned that someone had potentially been outside the camp, a bloodbath was soon to follow.

That was it for scouting today. She had to get a safe distance from the camp before she made a call to headquarters though. She'd inform them of the movements of the camp and the dangers of what could come.

It wasn't until she was yards away that the something finally hit her.

That blonde hair and those blue eyes… she'd seen them before, a long time ago. She scanned her memory, hoping the face would jump out at her, but it didn't.

She gave her thoughts one last go around before the image finally got stuck with a name.

She sucked in her breath.

Those particular traits belonged to none other than Flynn Scifo… but that was impossible.

Of course, she laughed a bit humorously to herself, she'd never really believed in impossibilities.

Now she had to get her report in. She'd tell only a select few. Some of the other people would have to stay in the dark until she could be confident in what she'd just seen. There were people who, if they learned that Flynn Scifo was really alive, would have a hard time handling the situation with care.

Calm heads were needed, not brash ones.

As soon as she felt safe, she pulled out a small red device and held it to her ear. It beeped several times before someone picked up; luckily it was the person she'd been hoping would answer,

"Hello, this is Rita Mordio."

* * *

The pale moon lit the area. Vision wasn't the greatest, but that worked for and against Flynn.

If he couldn't see, others couldn't either.

So he snuck out of the cabin, closing the door softly behind him.

A pain had filled his heart as he'd left K-18. It was a strange mix of emotions because he really hadn't known the teen long but it seemed like he was letting go of a solid foundation and taking a plummet into an unknown abyss.

The brunette had been the only one who'd attempted to comfort the blonde, and for that, he was forever grateful.

He had to do what needed to be done though, so without another word, he'd slipped out, whispering a silent prayer for the teen.

It was all he could do.

He kept his footfalls light, sneaking as he'd been taught to do during his training as a knight. Millions of tips and hints filled his mind from his knighthood days, which gave his brain a much-needed break from constantly going over the ins and outs of everything that was going on.

The pit pat of the rain was the only noise, and it covered the sounds of the blonde's movements nicely. The shadows of the area helped as well. He stayed close to the buildings, using them as cover. The towering walls hid his thin frame, and he moved silently like a ghost.

"Alright," the blonde spoke to himself.

The sound of his own voice, so assured and strong, gave him a morale boost, and he stepped from behind the cabins and into the open area.

The last of the cabins were behind him now, and the gate was in front of him.

The doors were closed, the metal rusted in several spots. Barbed wire wrapped across the top, making it very risky choice for an escape route. That was fine though, it'd never been his intention to climb.

Flynn moved across the moonlight, the darkness of the clouds and misting rain for once giving him comfort. With the comfort, the pounding of his blood in his ears rested long enough for him to breath. The thing he was going to check was the lock, but that would be letting himself stay in the open for longer than he would like.

He carefully laid his hand upon the cold metal lock. It seemed shut up tight, and with a forceful yet delicate shove, Flynn could tell the doors were locked for the night.

Well, there went the idea of leaving the way he'd come.

He turned and pressed his back against the doors, hiding in the shadows until he decided it was safe enough to go into the pale light again.

The area seemed quiet enough…

"I know, it's hard to believe!"

The blonde jumped out of his skin as he spotted two knights walking the area. Armor adorned the men. They also carried swords that sparkled in the pale light.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, and he was sure it was louder than the rain.

One of the guards laughed heartily and sighed,

"Well, tell you what, if you can prove that story, I'll hook you up with my sister!"

The two of them chuckled.

They were almost past the captain when one of them stiffened a bit. He turned a bit, looking around through his helmet.

It was as if the world had slowed down into ticking seconds. Flynn watched as the guard's head turned towards him, a distance away where the captain would be impossible to miss…

Shit, he hadn't thought about actually being caught again.

Thousands of options filled his head, but none seemed cleaver enough to win him the battle in the long run. Where there were two guards, there were thousands.

"Assholes!"

Everything happened to fast after that.

Flynn felt a warm substance splatter across his body.

In a flurry of motion, the guard in front of him split in two and fell to the ground. The other guard was sputtering by the time the attacker got to him, and in moments, the blade had killed the other guard.

"The hell?" Flynn spoke out loud.

In the pale moonlight, brown hair caught the blonde's attention,

"K-18?"

"I should be asking you 'the hell'!" He shouted. He got close enough to the captain's face that he could see the fire behind the gray eyes again. It seemed to be pressing harder this time, forcing its way through the cracks that were building in the teen's lethargic barrier.

"What are you doing out here?" the blonde questioned.

"Again, I should be asking you!"

A loud sound came from around the corner and K-18 shook it off,

"You'll answer everything later you idiot, but until then, grab one of those swords."

Flynn did as he was told, feeling a power with having a weapon again. He decided not to ask where the teen had gotten his weapon, and instead focused on what was going on in front of him.

Hundreds of knights rushed towards them, weapons drawn.

"God damn it…" K-18 muttered. He swung his weapon uneasily.

It looked like, to Flynn, that the teen hadn't handled a sword in a very long time.

"People are breaking out!"

"Arrest them!"

"Kill them!"

Soon, anything the guards were shouting became lost as thunder ripped the sky open and lighting coated everything in shades of yellow.

"Get ready."

Flynn didn't have to be told. He dashed out, heading towards one of the sides of the mass of knights, picking off the first few with quick hits.

In a flash, the blonde moved, swinging his sword for all of the vital areas of the knights' bodies. Necks split open and arms were chopped off. The blonde ducked low as a knight swung their sword, narrowly missing the captain. In retaliation, he jumped up, slicing his sword up the man's front, a squirt of red life liquid splashing to the ground.

Dozens of men surrounded the blonde, but he took them as they tossed themselves into the fray.

He clipped a man's leg, who spun out and ended up landing a hit against Flynn.

The blonde fell for a moment, shock riding up his arm.

"Take him now!" A knight yelled.

"No!" The captain shouted, throwing himself into the air and landing back a ways. He swung rapidly, killing one man who'd been standing, poised, beside him.

"Taste the power of a true knight!" Flynn shouted and, despite the pain that crept through his arm, despite the ache that arose from his old wounds, he unleashed several artes, pushing the knights back one by one.

* * *

He woke suddenly.

Rain pit patted against the windows of his room and oh, how he hated the sound.

He was about to believe that that had been what had woken him up when a knock came at the door.

The metal against wood sound, the way it was brief yet soft, allowed him to know exactly who was at the door. He scowled in frustration.

What did that man want tonight?

He practically ripped open the door, though he kept his calmer exterior towards the world,

"What."

"Sir," Cumore sputtered.

He was soaked and only in his robes.

"Spit it out Cumore."

"A riot… a riot is going on outside. Two men are trying to escape the camp and no matter how many troops I pour into the area, the two of them are holding out."

He didn't honestly see how this was his problem. People tried to escape all the time, and while these two apparently had lady luck on their sides, Cumore could handle it.

"If that's all…" he stated coldly, closing the door some.

Cumore shot his hand out to stop the wood from closing,

"No, sir, you don't understand…"

He shot the rival captain a look,

"Don't you dare do that again!" He shouted, thunder bubbling outside. "Whatever is going on, I believe I put you in charge of taking care of it. So why don't you go get dressed and handle it?" he spat, venom on his tongue. First he'd been mysteriously startled awake and now he had an idiot at his door.

He let a growl escape his lips as the rival captain quaked in fear,

"No, you don't understand. I know it's my job to take care of the commoners, but I woke you for a reason."

"Then out with it!" He was at the end of his patience.

"It's Flynn Scifo! That man I told you about!"

He scowled further.

"So that man is trying to escape?"

"Yes. Any of my knights who are returning from battle, severely wounded I might add, are saying he fights like a trained soldier from the old empire."

That certainly caught his interest.

"Do you want me to keep you posted?" Cumore asked, fear evident in his voice.

"No…" he stated calmly. It was like a flash, but the sudden awakening started to make sense, "fetch me my sword."

"What? Sir?"

"Get me my sword!" He screamed and Cumore hurried off.

No matter what the rival captain wanted, he wasn't going to sit in here and wait for a status update.

He got dressed quickly and walked down the hall, to where Cumore waited with his weapon.

"Scarlet, I must protest," the rival captain tried.

"Cumore," Scarlet spoke, "give me my sword."

A moment of intense silence past, the raging storms the only hum in the distance. They both stared at the other, and a spark of some unspoken words passed between them, making the rival captain hand the sword over.

Scarlet grasped it tightly in his hand, feeling it's weight for a moment, then opened up the door, a clap of thunder echoing his thoughts.

* * *

Flynn had the knights backed down. Many of them were retreating, and from what he could see, K-18 was having the same sort of luck.

The two of them moved quickly, finishing off a small group together in one final blow.

Guards stood in a ring around the group, horror evident on their faces. They didn't move or speak and held their weapons uneasily.

"Not bad fighting." Flynn commented to K-18. He scooted towards the brunette, who was breathing hard,

"Not bad yourself." He commented back. He seemed tired yet energized and his sword was now stable in his hands.

"There isn't that many left." The blonde noted.

The teen nodded,

"Yeah, so I think we should try to climb over now."

"Climb?"

"You want to hold them off while I dig?"

That was logic that the blonde couldn't argue with so instead, he said nothing.

"Climbing, that's what I thought…" He scanned the area quickly, looking each guard in the face as if challenging them. The circle of men remained the same though, probably to afriad to run away. "The doors, although harder to climb, aren't protected as well. If we can scale them, all we have to deal with at the top is the barbed wire and we're home free."

Flynn nodded. Though, the metal doors seemed impossible to climb, he couldn't argue with a plan… it was better than his.

Which at the moment was nothing in particular.

"We don't need to finish off the knights, but we do need to get climbing."

Again, the captain nodded,

"Alright."

He was about to tell the teen to turn and move until he saw movement in front of him.

For a second he thought it was more knights, so he readied his weapon. His fingers grasped at the hilt tightly and his focused his gaze on the moving figure, but it didn't take long for him to notice that it wasn't a guard; it was a normally dressed person.

"Who do we have here?"

Flynn froze. He knew that voice, and yet he couldn't pull it from out of his head.

"Ah, Flynn Scifo… but I thought he was dead." There was no sarcasm in the voice. It was as if he was telling a joke he knew no one would find funny. A statement and nothing more.

Flynn felt K-18 freeze up next to him. The captain dared a glance to the teen, whose skin had become ashen.

"Tell me Flynn," the man preceded forwards, Cumore following close behind, "what does it feel like to be the living dead?"

In that moment, Flynn knew that that man was Scarlet. The way K-18 had frozen even though he'd never seen the ruler of the world before, the way Cumore followed like a puppy…

Finally, everything about Scarlet clicked in his head.

The man, the voice…

"Aren't you going to answer me Flynn, if that's your real name. Or did you forget your old friend?"

A smile filled his face as if something inside of that man cackled evilly.

Flynn felt his heart catch in his chest and thousands of emotions ripped across his body all at once. He didn't know if he wanted to cry, scream, question or fall to his knees.

Scarlet was someone Flynn knew.

Scarlet was someone Flynn knew very well.

Flynn felt himself whisper the man's name just as the man said his own name aloud,

"Yuri Lowell."

* * *

A/N-Poor Flynn...

How come every time I try to write something short, it turns out long? I must simply be a long winded person. :) I've been trying to keep my chapters shorter than I usually write, but we can all see how that's turned out. I shall continue to attempt to make these just a bit shorter. :)

Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always appricated! And again, thank you so much to you people who take the time to review my story, and thanks to those of you who only read it as well. Until next time...


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Feeling your cold dead eyes stealing the life of mine."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-

The world around the captain kept turning, as if mocking him. Time ticked on by, the steely gaze of Scarlet, no, Yuri Lowell, piercing it's way down into the deepest part of Flynn's soul. He could feel the cold tingle of rain against his skin, the slick ground beneath his feet. Every single thing felt like it was pounding on his skin, etching themselves out into his flesh just to prove the hands of father time still moved.

Thunder roared terribly in the sky as Flynn's blue eyes fell upon those of Scarlet… no, Yuri Lowell.

Scarlet was Yuri Lowell.

Flynn's best friend, through thick and thin, the person Flynn respected most in the entire world. No, the entire universe!

Yuri Lowell was Scarlet.

Scarlet, the man who deserved so much more then death. The man who'd killed hundreds of people, the same person who'd killed princess Estellise. To the very core of Flynn's being, Scarlet was the person who needed to die, but now?

Flynn wanted to do nothing more than drop to his knees in front of his friend, beg answers out of him, scream, shout, yell profanities at the sky!

Though, by no means could the captain say a word. Time just continued to pass as more rain fell to the ground, each drop representing a second of the precious time that mocked him.

"Yuri..." Flynn whispered. But his words were muted against the onslaught of rain and wind. No one heard him. He barely heard himself.

Yuri had a grin on his face. It resembled one of a mischievous cat, one that was filled with a black humor,

"You've forgotten have you?" Yuri remarked, giving off a dry laugh. "Though, I didn't doubt that."

Every limb inside of Flynn screamed to move, but he was frozen. His eyes darted over to the teen, who stood ashen in the rain. His legs shivered more fiercely than they ever had and the grip that had become so steely on the blade became slack.

"It would be hard for someone of such an esteem position to remember such a peasant like me."

There was a fire in his words, Flynn noted.

A flash of yellow painted the sky, and for the briefest of moments, he could see the ruler's expression. It was a mask of impassiveness, but beneath the gray eyes, something vile turned against the color. It seemed to move to its own accord and scratch as if it wanted to be released.

"Why…" Flynn muttered.

Yuri apparently hadn't heard him, or chose not to answer, and turned towards a knight who stood, sword drawn, near him.

"You, knight," he stated. To the blonde, Yuri almost sounded bored, "why haven't you killed this man?"

At first, it seemed the man didn't know how to respond. In another flash of lightning, the captain saw how scared the man was of Scarlet,

"Well," the knight started, "he's been fighting off our men right and left…"

"And yet, you stand here so you can live? What if it was your sword destined to pierce his chest?"

The man shook,

"Well, then, sir, I'd…"

"You'd stand back! You'd worry more about your pathetic life than ridding the world of this nuisance!"

Flynn watched as Yuri gazed the man down. The knight quivered, others like him shaking as well.

"And how dare you say 'our men'!" Yuri shouted. Flynn could almost hear the pounding of the demon behind Yuri's mask as it begged to be let out, "Didn't you mean 'Scarlet's men'!" Yuri grabbed the man roughly, ripping the sword from the knight's grasp. With a quick and wild swing, blood spewed from the man. The man's own sword had been used against him as he fell to the ground in a puddle of blood.

Yuri tossed the useless sword to the ground, breathing hard.

Flynn could feel the tension in the air, the anger; and yet, there seemed to be a calm that settled over the area.

Yuri inhaled deeply, turning towards Flynn,

"Now… where were we?" He mocked, walking closer. Cumore slowed his pace behind the ruler, speaking up,

"Scarlet, what are you going to do?" The rival captain gave a small hysteric laugh, as if completely unsure if the dark haired man had snapped or not.

Completely ignored the Cumore, Yuri reached Flynn.

He stared down at the blonde, who was more than a little intimidated.

Flynn felt his blood go cold. Every set of eyes were on him and Yuri, he could feel that. Even K-18's hard yet disturbed gaze fell on him, making the captain feel uncomfortable. Attempting to look strong, he willed his knees to lock and his breathing to calm. The storm that raged in his mind settled for the briefest of moments while the ruler stared at him.

"You do look like him."

If Yuri felt anything with that statement, it was lost behind his mask. The thing clawing from behind had quieted for the moment, and all that was left was the emotionless voice and dark, cold eyes that use to belong to his friend.

He wasn't even sure what he'd call Yuri now.

"Say something!" the ruler screamed.

Flynn flinched back a bit at the noise, which echoed in his mind louder than the storm that raged overhead. His mind couldn't move, as much as he wanted it too. Rational thought seemed to end as he attempted to understand something he probably never would.

"Speak!" Yuri shouted, "do as I command!"

Flynn remained quiet.

"Listen to me!"

The vile thing behind the gray eyes Flynn had known so well moved like a snake, slithering into position as if it knew it was almost time to strike. Perhaps he was more scared of that thing than of his friend, who's face was a blank canvas even as his screams ripped the heavens apart.

A punch, swiftly from the side, hit the blonde in the face. He didn't know what had happened until he hit the ground. Like a movie put in fast forward, the captain's mind caught up with him and was able to move again before the heel of Yuri's boot crushed into the mud ridden earth.

"Listen to me you bastard!"

Flynn pulled himself up, reeling from the attack. He opened his mouth to speak but was greeted with another fist in his stomach.

Wind rushed out of his lungs as he collapsed on the earth again, mud coating his body.

"I said listen to me!" A crash of thunder and a flash of lightening flared in the sky. Rain began to blow harder as Yuri stood over the blonde, anger coming off him in waves.

"Listen!" He screamed, punctuating it with a kick to Flynn's stomach. Over and over again then, he kicked, screaming the word that seemed to be his mantra with each connection.

The blonde's ribs were on fire. With the voice that he didn't even think he could muster, he yelped in pain. Hot white flashes of light filled his vision and stars twirled just in his sights. Vaguely the captain wondered if K-18 was going to do anything. Had the teen given up when Scarlet had walked onto the scene? Had he been attacked? Killed?

One more painful connection of Yuri's boot to Flynn's stomach and the ruler stopped, panting heavily. He growled in distaste, bits of his mask falling away to show the hideous anger underneath.

It was at that moment that Flynn knew that he couldn't go through that again. Breathing had become nearly impossible. Each inhale of air sent seer pain through his body, paralyzing his lungs and heart. He huffed now, shallow intakes of air, as he looked through the rain at his friend.

"I listen..." Flynn stated, feeling the words come out in painful gasps, "I always listen."

There was a moment where the blonde felt like he was going to be attacked again, but the tension passed. It was as if Yuri thought of a better plan, making him turn and speak to Cumore.

Yuri glared the rival captain down,

"Help this man up," he commanded.

Cumore stuttered,

"Wh-what? But sir, what if he tries to kill me? You can't make me touch that filthy heathen Scarlet... have one of the other knights do it!"

"Help him up," Yuri seethed.

"But... but, but..."

With two steps, the dark haired man was in front of Cumore, glaring at him in the face. The two stood there for a moment, something passing between them. After a second, Cumore gave in and moved around the ruler, leaving adequate space in case Yuri decided to attack.

The rival captain moved towards Flynn, helping him up with effort. Vainly, he attempted to keep his clothes pristine as the blonde struggled to stand.

He felt his legs lock under him as he stood.

"Now Cumore, hand him your sword."

Flynn felt his mind lapse for a moment as he absently searched for his own sword. The one he'd been using seemed to have disappeared into the mud. He had probably dropped it when Scarlet had assaulted him on the ground. Just the memory of that made his mind spin, and Flynn felt the urge to throw up.

"Scarlet!" He whined.

Flynn felt irritated at the rival captain. He was sure that Yuri wouldn't have joined forces with the man for anything less than a good reason, but the blonde had to wonder, why had Yuri done anything like this in the first place. His questions not really answerable at the moment, he focused on the important things, like breathing.

"Cumore," there was a dangerous tone to the ruler's voice, but the rival captain didn't appear to notice.

"Scarlet, I already helped that man up why can't you just take care of him?"

"Isn't that suppose to be your job?"

The rival captain shuttered under Yuri's intense gaze. Flynn felt as if the world, cold and rainy, chilled to ice. For just one second, it was as if the rain let up, a chilly breeze came through the air and everything in the moment stopped.

With a flick of a gaze, the blonde looked over to K-18, or at least, where K-18 should have been. At first, he didn't see the teen, but after a moment passed, Flynn could see the brunette crouching on the ground.

He was shaking intensely, his hands covering his head in an attempt to block out something.

It was as if the rain returned, pulling Flynn to his senses.

With two steps, the dark haired man was in front of Cumore. With a steady hand, he grabbed the hilt of the rival captain's sword and drew it in one miraculous event. A glare never left his face, and without looking away, Yuri handed the blade to Flynn.

"Alright," he stated coldly.

Water rained from the heavens. Cumore moved back from what was obviously going to be a fight. Yuri raised his sword, the way he'd always carried the blade, and stared at the blonde.

A second passed, then another.

Did it really have to come to a fight? Flynn fought of several of the emotions that filled his skull as he readied his sword as well. He gave it a few practice swings, just to get use to the blade, then held it in place.

If he could kill of knights, then he could kill off Yuri too, right?

Just the thought of killing his friend-

Former friend, made a pang of guilt rise to his head.

He didn't have any more time than that.

Without a sound, Yuri charged forward, his blade slicing through the air.

Flynn moved instinctively, dodging but not giving a counter attack. It would prove to be a downfall, because Yuri had guessed where he had gone and sent a wave of agony Flynn's way.

The blonde felt the blade slice his skin, blood began to pour out of the wound on his side. He flinched as the ruler swung the blade again, this was swishing past his neck, narrowing missing it. With the third swing that Yuri could muster without a pause, the blade connected with Flynn's shoulder and sparks of pain flared down his arm.

His knees felt wobbly, but he held himself up and attempted to mount a strike, but Yuri was faster. He dodged and swung down on the blonde, hard.

It was as if the world move in slow motion. As the captain's brain struggled to remember even some of the basics in sword fighting, he threw his sword up, blocking the assault with a loud clang. Even he was shocked by the outcome.

The reverberations rolled down the blade, making Flynn's bones rattle, but with more strength than he knew he had, he shrugged off Yuri's attack and swung the sword in a wide arch.

Rain pelted the ground in a fierce storm as Yuri fell back in order to dodge the attack.

With a roar, Flynn leapt forwards, stabbing his sword into the ground where Yuri had been moments later. It would have killed him, instantly. The captain felt a horror rush over him as he contemplated the idea that he'd almost mortally wounded his friend, regardless of the situation. There wasn't a long lapse of time though, before Yuri attacked again.

He charged at the blonde's back, striking the mark with a sickening thud.

The world span for a second as Flynn toppled down, his sword still stuck in the ground. He wheezed a bit as his ribs hit the mud ridden earth, the breath being forced out of the lungs that had been so incapable of holding air a moment ago.

"Flynn wouldn't have been beaten so easily!" Yuri cried as he swung.

Adrenaline coursed through the blonde's veins as he heard the metal sing in the wind and rain. He rolled onto his back, flipped back, grabbing his sword in the air and landed on his feet. He didn't give Yuri a chance to assess the situation.

It was instinct, that had to be it.

An instinct that was so undeniable, he'd attack even his own friend in a given situation.

Dread filled the blonde's limbs as he slashed at the ruler.

Yuri was hit across the chest, dark blood spraying out from the wound. He collapsed on the ground as he cursed underneath his breath.

"Scarlet!" Cumore called from somewhere in the background.

"Stay out of this!" The ruler screamed, pulling himself off the ground and grabbing his sword from the mud.

The moment the blonde's blue eyes settled on the wound, his previous valor faded and he shook. What was going on with him? One moment he could kill his friend and the next he was to scared to do anything.

Despite the injury, he attacked again.

The two fought forcefully then, in a cling and clang battle of blades. The ring as metal hit upon metal almost seemed to hum a melody as sharp and clear as the rain itself.

Several times during the battle, onslaughts of rain poured in Flynn's face, allowing Yuri to strike. With a cry, he'd fall, pull himself up, and continue fighting.

It wasn't easy though. With each wound inflicted upon him, he felt the world go a little bit more dark. The lungs in his chest felt as if they were on fire and each painful gasp of air caused a ripple of pain to roll down his spine.

If they'd ever been evenly matched before, which Flynn doubted, he was going down hill now.

There seemed to be something fueling the ruler. The dark, vile thing inside his friend's skull seemed to hum with energy, and if Flynn knew his hearing wasn't shot to hell, he'd swear he could hear it talking.

Dark whispers floating around the battle.

Flynn shivered as he dodged another attack, feeling the wind of the blade as it so narrowly sliced his skin.

With a 'shunk', Flynn lost balance and collapsed onto the ground.

Grass rose to meet his face. It brushed against him for a moment, as if caressing his poor wounds with concern.

Wait... grass?

Flynn looked around them. As far as the eye could see, the deadened long grass waved lazily in the rain and wind and the edge of forest seemed to be beyond field.

When had they gotten outside?

When had the gate open?

He swiveled his head around to see Yuri coming closer, an intense anger in his eyes, somewhere beyond his blank expression.

The captain attempted to move but his body refused to move. It was then that he noticed how exhausted he was. His entire body shook, his vision was almost completely black and instead of feeling the cold rain hit his face, he felt nothing. Even his wounds didn't hurt, which wasn't a good thing.

This wasn't how things were suppose to end, right? Wherever he was, he wasn't suppose to die in the field of grass, at the hands of his best friend, with the only mourner the sky. Visions flashed in his mind.

He wondered if it was like having one's life flash before their eyes. Images of the castle that stood to brightly, images of his second in command and the beauty of colors and nature outside the barrier. Even in his mind's eyes, he could recall the vivid splashes of shades that had once existed outside his mind.

Then, an image of Estellise.

He felt a calm wash through him at her smiling face. He loved how her dress floated behind her and her light hair danced in the gentle breeze. Just her eyes, those lovely blue green eyes filled his heart with a calming sense he didn't know existed.

Perhaps this was how it was suppose to be?

It wasn't until he noticed several minutes had passed with nothing happening that he tried to focus on the outside world.

Slowly, all the colors and pretty images fell away, revealing the world of grays and blues, the world of mud and rain, and Flynn saw why he was still breathing.

Sword in hand, K-18 stood, his back towards the blonde, staring down Scarlet.

His legs quaked as if the earth was shaking but his stance was firm. Blood covered his body. Many cuts and scraps with one wound constantly oozing the red life liquid.

Flynn's words stuck in his throat.

"Go!" the brunette shouted, his voice hoarse.

The captain got the idea that K-18 had been shouting that for awhile now, perhaps even with all of the fighting he seemed to have gone through.

"Run! Get away from here!"

Yuri charged the brunette, fighting continuing between the two.

With effort, Flynn pulled himself up. He could feel his entire body protesting, grinding as if his bones had suddenly become granite.

"Go! Now!" There was a pain in the voice and Flynn responded to it.

He moved forward in an attempt to help K-18 in the fighting, but another shout from the teen stopped him,

"No! You have to get away!" He turned away from battle for a second, clearly a danger, "you're the only hope! Go, get away!"

Desperation... Flynn could tell that was what was in the teen's voice. Then, something clicked. The thing he'd noticed before that he couldn't place, the thing that had tugged at his mind...

"Run!"

Flynn could only nod, willing his body to move,

"Thank you... Karol."

Then he ran. Ran faster than his legs could carry him, faster than his body could handle. Every organ inside his body burned like fire. Each of his wounds felt as if they were ripping his body apart and finally, after he could take no more, after running for what felt like hours, he collapsed.

He wondered if he'd ran far enough.

He wondered if Scarlet had killed K-18.

He wondered if Scarlet was now on a warpath to find him.

But more over, he wondered if he could sleep; and the world faded into vivid colors and beautiful things.

-0-0-0-0-

At first, Flynn heard nothing.

It was as if the entire world had fallen silent, but the quiet wasn't peaceful, it was ominous. The sound was like a silent roar just before something terrible broke out. The buzz that can be heard in only one's head right before the other shoe drops.

The blonde found himself shaking. Each muscle seemed to move on its own, causing immeasurable pain as he clawed himself out of the silence and into the world of sound.

It wasn't dramatic. The sounds around him came at first like a whisper, then, grew louder and louder till his mind could no longer think and he had to open his eyes.

"He's not even awake." A male voice spoke. The voice sounded distant, foreign, but an odd twang in that voice made the blonde feel like he'd heard the voice before.

"Who cares? The world outside isn't getting any less muddy!" A female voice chimed. She sounded louder than the male, more confidant.

"You can't rush these things along."

"It's better than... wait!" Flynn felt a rush of wind and warmth near his face. "He's waking up!" she called. Her breath smelled sweet, a stark contrast to what the captain remembered about the world.

It took the him a long moment to remember where he was, who he was and what was going on. His mind moved sluggishly, apparently in no rush to remember what was happening. It took him even longer to open his eyes to the constant ushering of the female, then he heard rain...

Rain?

Flynn jolt up. Every muscle, bone and cell in his body protested, sending him back into a laying position. He felt a soft cushion capture him as his body fell back. For a strong moment, Flynn wanted to fall back asleep, into the abysmal darkness that had surrounded him before. It would be so easy, falling back into the ominous silence, but a swift slap to the face brought his wandering mind to the present.

"You shouldn't do that to an injured man..."

Flynn tired to focus his vision, but he couldn't even pick a spot on the ceiling to stare at. It hurt to keep his heavy lids open; it hurt even worse to blink. He just wanted to keep his eyes closed and sink back into the world that was the black, and live there for a while, even forever if he could.

Another slap.

"You could be thrown out into the rain for abusing him..." The male spoke calmly.

"Oh shush." The female replied.

Over the next couple of minutes, the blonde worked into focusing on the images that floated in his vision. Eventually, he saw a female that he felt like the vaguely recognized, but he couldn't place.

Blue-green eyes stared down at him with long brown hair framing her face. She carried a quizzical expression that held one cocked eyebrow and a slightly raised lip. She stared at the captain for the longest time till she finally decided to talk.

"I can see you've finally come around." She had an alto voice that sounded intelligent. She scanned over his body once or twice before giving a nod. "You seem in good shape. Don't worry... you're all bandaged up, but I wouldn't move just yet. The stitches won't hold if you start jumping all over the place..."

Somewhere in the blonde's conscience, he knew he should say something, but the female spoke up again before he could contemplate what to say,

"Also, our healer did her magic on you but there's only so much artes can do. No moving around and nothing crazy until your body finishes healing up."

Flynn nodded. He wanted to ask a question, but the female started talking once again, her pace quickly speeding up. "We found you unconscious in the meadow... It's a miracle that you didn't die or get eaten by some monster. You were barley breathing when our scout found you. It's a good thing we had an eye on the camp. Our scout saw something was going on and headed out just in time to find and save you. You were a mess to clean up though, so you'd better be happy."

The blonde was dumb founded, his snail-paced brain trying to process the huge amount of information that had been thrown at him. He hadn't been taken back into the camp? His worst fear hadn't been realized?

It was a relief to be sure, but it was also strange. It took his mind a couple of seconds to think of a stray thought that crawled to the front of his mind. "Karol! Where's Karol!" Flynn tried to jump up again, but the female shoved him back down.

"Karol?" She asked. "Karol Capel?"

Flynn thought for a moment. His mind went back to the past, where the young twelve-year-old boy with brown messy hair stood beside Yuri...

Yuri.

Sudden emotional pain stabbed through his heart as the image of his friend, his old friend, smiling, sent waves into his stomach. His heart felt like a black hole of pain that began to eat away at his internal organs.

Yuri... Yuri Lowell was Scarlet.

"Did you mean Karol Capel!" The female demanded, shaking Flynn from his grief.

It took the blonde a few seconds to gather himself, but it didn't take him that long to agree, "Yes. Karol Capel."

Tears started to well into the female's eyes, and obvious strain on her throat showed in her voice. "You mean he's alive?"

Flynn gave a short nod.

"Oh my God..."The male said, speaking up for the first time since Flynn had actually awoken. "Karol's alive? But I thought-"

"All our assumptions were wrong then..." She said quickly, standing. She started pacing the very second she stood. "If Karol's alive then we have a chance to get inside the camp; destroy Scarlet once and for all!"

"If Karol's alive..." The male said, putting emphases on the word 'if'. He was obviously not sold on the idea that the brown haired boy could be living, "He hasn't contacted us, and we've seen no movement from the camp to indicate Karol's presence."

She spun quickly, giving Flynn a sudden headache, and she pointed to the male, her stern glare unwavering, "Karol could still be alive."

She obviously didn't want to give up on the hope, the male, though, had doubts.

Flynn wanted to let them have their time to chitchat, but he had more pressing matters. "Karol's fine and well, but where am I?" It'd be better to know if he was in danger or not first, the rest of the questions would have to wait for a moment.

"Sorry..." She sat back down, straightening her dress as best she could. "There's no need to worry. You're with the underground... I'm Rita Mordio, head intelligence officer."

Flynn felt his brain screech to a halt. That's where he had recognized her! She had traveled with Yuri!

Another emotional stab through the heart at the sudden use of his former friends name, and his brain continued; then the male behind her was...

"And I'm Raven, head communication's officer."

Flynn felt emotional grief and overwhelming joy all that the same time. It made his insides feel odd, but it was also comforting. "Rita, Raven! It's so good to see you!"

The two stared at him dumb founded. It was as if he'd just grown another head. Flynn made a mental note to explain himself better next time he wanted to shout people's names to the heavens.

"I guess you wouldn't recognize me... others have today, but no one believes me. I'm Flynn Scifo."

Even more blank stares. Raven gave him an odd look, "Flynn Scifo? The Flynn Scifo? Yuri Lowell's best friend and the guy who died?"

Ex-best friend.

Flynn didn't let his words burn him to deep, "Yes. I don't have time to explain it..."

Rita cocked her head to one side, "Our scout did say you looked like Flynn, but I had forgotten what you'd looked like. It's been six years... Krityan's have long memories though. I shouldn't have expected anything less from-"

"Wait! Judith's here too?" Flynn felt like he was dieing of shock every time he heard new news.

"Yeah, Judith is alive and well..." Raven said, giving a little sigh.

Flynn wanted to ask about everything now, but a small tug on his arm stopped him. He looked down to see, near Rita's leg, was a small girl, about the age of five. She had blonde hair and green eyes. She gave a shy smile at the blonde and shoved her arms up, obviously wanting to be held by him.

The captain gave Rita a look of, what the hell, but Rita shrugged.

With a quick hoist, the girl was up on Flynn's bed and staring at him.

"Hey there..." Flynn said, slowly putting his hand on top of the girl's head. He gave her head a pat.

"Elizabeth Mae!" Came a shout from down the hall. The little girl turned her head at once to the name. She had carefree eyes, filled to the brim with joy. Apparently she was happy about something...

"Elizabeth Mae!" The shout came again, this time closer to the room Flynn was in.

The blonde instantly recognized the voice. In all the time he'd spent away from the castle, he didn't think he could forget it.

Before he could say anything, he moved his head towards the door frame to see a sight he'd been dieing to see.

A disheveled female stood in the arch, her dress a bit rumpled but completely elegant and her hands close to her chest. She had a concerned face and gentle blue-green eyes. Her pink long hair swayed slightly, indicating that she'd previously been running.

"Estellise," he breathed, and slowly, she drew her eyes upon him.

-0-0-0-0-

A/N:I updated! I'm not keeping a running tally of how often I update, though I know it's not enough. The only reasons I can come up with are that I've started college and just this weekend, when I was going to post, I was moving rooms and everything else around. Sadly, while I had gotten the rest of it typed and edited on the weekend, I wasn't able to update till today. I'm sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Cross your fingers everyone, but hopefully it won't be to long before I get the next chapter out. It's basically typed and just needs editing.

Just a quick thing I want to note... it seems no matter how hard I try, I can't write short chapters (short being ten pages or less). They always end up longer. I know I stated this last chapter, but I'll try to shorten them (of course, I tried to shorten this one and it ended up longer than the last one). Oh well...

As always, thanks to everyone who reviews and reads the story!


	6. Chapter 5

A/N-Please don't kill me and just trust me with this. :D

-0-0-0-0-

Chapter Five

"Hold on, hold on..."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-

For a moment, he couldn't breath.

The air hitched in his lungs, and his throat closed.

Karol had said she was dead. Karol had said that Estellise was dead... He'd been wrong.

Flynn blinked once... twice. Over and over, until his lids were tired of moving. Nothing, though, could make him take his eyes off of her. She was alive! Beautiful and alive! He loved watching her chest rise and fall, showing the natural order of breathing was occurring within her feeble body. He loved watching her eyes as they blinked, showing that Estellise was more than half alive. She was living and breathing, something Flynn was barley managing himself at the moment.

A few seconds of staring turned into a minute of it, and neither him nor her stopped gawking at the other. His eyes were glued to the functions of her body. Anything that proved she was where she was. Her pale but rosy cheeks, her blinking blue green eyes; he stared at anything that proved that she wasn't a trick of the eyes or a cruel joke. He didn't want to get his hopes up just so they could come crashing down.

"Estellise..." His voice came out as a muted whisper. His lips barley moved as his mouth formed her perfect name.

"Flynn?" She questioned in a similar fashion.

That was enough to make the air in his lungs leave. She was alive, she recognized him! The person he'd been so eager to see, the one person that he kept in his mind as a constant reminder of why to get out of the crazy world he'd landed in… and now, there she was. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or if he wanted to laugh, to shout her names to the heavens and back or simply jump up and embrace her frail body in a hug.

He felt a new high he hadn't felt in a long time. Something fluttered in his stomach, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off his heart. He wanted to say something, but another moment of silence passed, and his world was consumed in black.

-0-0-0-0-

In all of his years, Yuri Lowell hadn't expected to see Flynn Scifo again.

Honestly, it shocked him.

Flynn was dead, Yuri had made sure; Estelle had been killed, Flynn shortly after. There was no possibility that he had lived, yet; somehow, he'd managed to infiltrate his camp, rally the people and even cause Yuri to come out of hiding to face the ugly world.

Flynn really had had a way of making things happen, just like life had a way of being unfair.

Yuri closed his eyes at the thought. Flynn was supposed to be dead, but he was alive and well.

No, the swordsman though to himself, dead now. He'd been alive, but now he was another body for the monsters to devour, that was what he had to believe. Flynn had been far to wounded to survive in the world outside of the camp.

He squeezed his fists together in anger, feeling a cold sense of dread wash over him. What if Flynn had survived again? What if the captain had escaped death twice? Panic constricted his heart like a vine, and he felt his pulse speed up. All over, his body was reacting to the mere thought of Flynn Scifo surviving again.

His fingers twitched and his blood pounded in his ears, filling the otherwise empty room with the sound of drumming. It was as if another part of him was coming alive again, a part he'd buried a long time ago; and it was trying to scratch itself out of his head.

Bump.

Bump.

Bump, inside his skull. The monster locked away pounded against his head, the blood that coursed rapidly through his veins calling to it like a siren.

Yuri dug his nails into his palms, trying to calm the nonsense that had triggered the reaction. Flynn Scifo wasn't alive. Perhaps one could escape death once, but not twice.

The captain was dead, dead, dead!

The swordsman had cut and sliced at the blonde over and over, so even though the captain had gotten away, he couldn't have survived.

Dead, Flynn Scifo was dead, and he wasn't coming back.

Rapidly, as he solidified the idea of Flynn's death in his head, he felt the creature that had been clawing at his skull dieing down. He almost breathed a sigh of relief, but another question popped into his brain, causing another intake of breath, another constriction of his heart...

What about Estelle?

The mere thought of the pink haired female sent shivers down the dark haired man's spine. It reminded him how everything in life was unfair and no matter what, the poor man never got his way.

Hatred started to boil underneath his skin. It replaced the horrors of another visit from a supposedly dead person, and instead heated him to his core. He wanted, so desperately, to jump up and go out into the meadow and find Flynn's rotting corpse. He wanted to mutilate it beyond human recognition! Burn it, bury it, destroy it; anything to lessen the emotional hate pulsing through his body.

He felt like an acid replaced his blood, and as it coursed underneath his skin, he felt his entire body shake as rage filled his soul like air filled his lungs.

It wasn't fair! Flynn had taken everything from Yuri, and when he was supposed to be dead, he took that gratification from the swordsman as well!

Rage was something the ruler had become accustom to, but its claws knew exactly where to place their points.

The more he thought about it, the more the urge to mutilate Flynn consumed him.

Flynn stole everything from him, and when it was a time of desperate need, Yuri begged for Flynn's help, but nothing came. His best friend had denied him, and all that had been left was an empty heart and veins filled with acid… the fiery acid that burned his skin and caused untold suffering from within.

Malice swarmed his thoughts. Life was unfair to those who didn't play the game. For the people who didn't understand life's rules, life would turn into a vile monster and continue to tear them apart until there was nothing left. For those who knew how to cheat the system? Life caught them in the act. Death for those who didn't know how to play. It always ended like that, for Flynn and Estelle.

Rushing emotion ripped at his heart. Anything Yuri had ever cared for was gone, taken by Flynn, or by himself.

In a cruel sense of humor, he supposed he only had himself to blame for his lonely anger, but soon the world would taste it.

The world would be filled to the brim with the hate he'd consumed, and then everything would be cleansed. He'd become the only person to cheat the system and live. He'd laugh in everyone's face as the people who'd shoved him into such a sorry state drowned in the acid he'd bring to the world.

Even with everything Yuri had cared about gone, he'd get the last laugh.

Life was cleverly unfair.

A kiss, one nauseating kiss to his lips, brought Yuri back to reality. A place he preferred not to be.

Yuri refocused his eyes upon the man who now stood in front of him. Cumore stood erect, his body giving off definite waves of his needs that he expected Yuri to fulfill.

"Scarlet, what are you doing, standing by the window? It's raining, like always, why not close the curtains for awhile?" Cumore questioned, his voice giving more indicators of his intentions were.

Yuri scowled in disgust, throwing an angry glare at the man who blocked his vision, "Not now." He didn't want anything to do with Cumore at the moment. In fact, he'd never wanted anything to do with the man, but it simply wasn't an option to get rid of him for now.

"Come now, it'll be alright…" with a flick of his wrist, Cumore shut the curtains, blocking the window off, leaving only the pit-pat noise of rain to signify it's existence.

Yuri had to control himself, the next few moments were crucial, but the swordsman wasn't completely sure he'd be able to hide his anger, "it's not a good time. Leave it be for tonight." Simulating Cumore's movements, the ruler flicked one of the curtains back open.

"Scarlet!" Cumore whined, "It's not fair I have to go by your schedule."

Sighing inwardly, the swordsman braced himself for a long argument, "Leave me alone."

"Why? Can't you think later? This isn't about you, it's about us!"

Yuri vomited a bit inside his mouth. Just the way Cumore had stated his feelings set the swordsman's teeth on edge. He didn't want to deal with Cumore today or tomorrow, but was stuck with the man because of a few technicalities.

"About us? No, it's about me, and me allowing you to stay," the ruler sneered, moving away from the window. He strolled towards the center of the room, glaring at the ex-captain as he moved.

"No, it's about me doing what no one else could!" The ex-captain cried, balling his fists.

Yuri knew what the man was talking about, but he couldn't help but feel another surge of anger lick at his neck. Absentmindedly, the ruler rubbed his collarbone and drew it down his sternum, feeling the ridge of the horror that haunted him even to this day. Yes, Cumore had done something no one else could, but that didn't mean anything,

"That's not important anymore."

The ex-captain's face screwed together, "Not important? I didn't abandon you like so many others did, and this is how you repay me?" The man seemed angry, but the ruler hardly cared. What he did care about though, was the support of the knights that worked in the camp. If Cumore left, they'd leave, and that wasn't something the swordsman needed now.

With a measured pace, Yuri walked over to where the ex-captain stood.

Cumore's face changed into one of confusion as the ruler got very close, pulling his face till the two were a few inches apart,

"Cumore," Yuri stated, keeping his voice even, "I thank you for what you did, but right now, I need to think."

The man was about to speak some form of opposition, but the swordsman placed a finger on the man's thin outlined lips,

"Later," Yuri breathed, looking the ex-captain in the eyes.

A few things happened then. Cumore's eyebrow twitched and gangly arms wrapped around the swordsman's thin waist.

Scowling in disgust, but doing his best to hide behind a mask of interest, the dark haired man allowed Cumore's arms to remain where they were. The two stood there for a second, the ruler trying to ignore all sorts of horrible temptations that vibrated from his heart… like stabbing the blue haired man in the face.

Finally,

"Later," Cumore whispered, getting his mouth close to Yuri's ear.

Just the mere feeling of the ex-captain's warm breath on the swordsman ear sent a nauseating wave rippling down his spine. Yuri shuddered, hitching his breath just enough to keep the anger that was quickly boiling underneath his skin down.

A soft peck on the ear, and Cumore left the room as he'd entered it; quietly, like a snake waiting to eat it's pray.

It felt like hours, but it was just a couple of seconds. Yuri held his breath, almost expecting the man to come back in. Cumore had never understood 'later' meant 'a long time from now', so the swordsman didn't want to be dazed if the ex-captain reentered.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, the ruler exhaled, feeling the all to familiar shaking feeling come back to him.

Always! He always shook when Cumore touched him, even if it was just a graze. One small flick of that man's finger never failed to send Yuri into a mounting panic attack. There was something about the way the man walked, talked and acted that sent the wrong messages to the dark haired man, but he could do nothing but ignore the red flags that planted themselves in his vision.

He wrapped his arms around his chest and glared out the window.

Pit-pat rain battered against the building, filling the empty room with the sound of hollow rain.

Hollow? How fitting… Yuri closed his eyes, trying to drown out the sound of the rain, but as he inwardly cried in despair, it just continued to rain.

Life was incredibly unfair. Even with Flynn's death, the blonde always got the easy way out. Yuri had to deal with the day to day, he had to fight everything head on while Flynn had slipped out when he was needed the most.

Life was unfair, and it simply rained harder.

-0-0-0-0-

Flynn opened his eyes slowly, the light adding several pounds of weight to his pupils. He quickly closed his lids again, trying to keep the brightness out.

To one side of him, he felt a gentle weight against his hand. The skin was soft and a quiet humming noise of some beautiful melody played through the air. The song was pretty, having gentle highs and supportive lows and it sounded familiar to the blonde, but he couldn't place it.

He let his mind wander, his thoughts weaving in and out of dreams and vivid memories. He'd preferred to stay in the quiet, cool darkness, but his mind was urging him to wake up and face the real world, a place where untold horrors still waited.

Again, Flynn managed to open his eyes.

Estellise was sitting beside him, stroking his hand ever so calmly. Her eyes were closed, and she looked close to sleep herself.

The captain watched her for what seemed like hours. Her blue-green eyes closed, and her facial features calm. Her being there made the storm in Flynn's mind and heart subside. It relaxed his otherwise tense body. He closed his eyes again, letting her voice carry him away.

He felt at peace for the first time since he'd jumped to the future... or whatever the hell it was.

Many questions flooded the back of his mind, but at the moment, the tranquility smoothed it all over.

Pit-pat.

Pit-pat.

The sound of rain, slowly but surly, brought him back to complete reality. He opened his eyes to Estellise, who had stopped humming, as if the rain had finally penetrated her mind too, bringing her back.

Back to the horror of reality; where everything was messed up and any enemy of your enemy was still your enemy.

"Estellise..." Flynn said, allowing another silence to fill the air.

The pink haired girl looked at him, eyes curious. She seemed tired. So much more tired than Flynn ever remembered. Her worn eyes still held delight, but it was obvious that she'd been tackling difficult things.

So many questions...

"Estellise," He said again, cutting off the word, not allowing another silence. He needed to know what was going on and there was no more time for life's simple pleasantries. "I was told... that you were dead."

She nodded her head in agreement. She obviously had her own questions,

"Flynn... There's not a lot I remember. You were killed..." She paused, wiping her eyes and tipping her head towards the ground. "You were killed right in front of me." She seemed lost in her own thoughts now, her eyes glossed over as if remembering everything that happened.

The details had probably never left her, "I remember watching you die and being powerless to stop it... and then-" She put her slender fingers to her pale throat, tracing a faint line that crossed horizontally across her neck. It was hard to see, but it was there.

Flynn felt an icy chill drop into his stomach. It was hard for him to even think about it, contemplate it. Estellise's throat had been slit. No, it was probably more, something more gruesome, but the cut across the throat was the mark he could see.

"Estellise…"

Her name hung in the air for one long moment that seemed to transcend time. It froze the clock's greedy hands and made the second hand flick by unusually slow...

"I don't remember anything after that. I woke up, though, several hours later inside the ruined city. I could hear so many sounds from far away, but from what I was told, everything was remarkably close by... Rita," She swallowed loudly, closing her eyes for a moment, "she found and saved me."

There was a sigh of relief that came slightly raspy from Estellise. She laughed, a dry shallow laugh that lacked humor, "Rita came back for me... She'd left the city already, but she came back, figuring I'd still be inside the capital. As I was pulled out, we were attacked, and Rita was captured… I ran."

Another moment of quiet sneaked it's way into the room. Flynn closed his eyes, not sure if he wanted to hear the next part.

"I don't know what happened after that. For the couple of weeks Rita was captured. Karol, Raven, Judith and I gathered together, hiding away from Yuri and his armies. Eventually, we found out where Rita was. She'd been taken to the camp that grew from the ruins of the Capital, and Karol decided he'd go into enemy territory to retrieve her. I'm not sure what happened there either..." another shaky breath, "but Rita came back, and Karol did not."

Flynn didn't want to know more, but he couldn't say that. There was actually nothing he could really say.

There was nothing to be said.

Words wouldn't make anything different, they wouldn't make things right or fix any of the problems that were present. Suddenly, he wanted to go back to a couple of minutes ago, when he was listening to Estellise hum the tune that was on the verge of his mind, back to when he didn't know Yuri was Scarlet, or that the future was going to end up the way it had.

Back to the castle, but, if that wasn't obtainable, he'd go back to the camp, staying with Karol, slowly losing hope. He'd rather still be stuck in the future with his mind still in the present, fully unaware of what was going on.

His mind, body and soul ached for simplicity. Craved it.

"What about... that little girl?" Flynn felt the words leave his mouth before he knew they had. On the outside, he didn't want to know; so many possibilities ran in his head, but honestly, on the inside, his heart still burned for answers.

"Elizabeth Mae?"

"Yes..." Flynn remarked.

"She's-" before Estellise had a chance to speak another word, the sound of boots against tile filled the small room, and within seconds, Rita's head poked through the door.

"We have an idea!" The greenish eyes of the researcher seemed urgent.

"What is it?" Estellise asked, standing.

Flynn closed his eyes for a moment. An idea? Something that could bring everyone out of the mess they were in? His thoughts flew back to Yuri. What did it mean for his ex-friend?

For some reason, Flynn couldn't imagine a world without Yuri Lowell. It didn't seem like it could exist. Everything was blamed on Yuri or solved by him. He wasn't one to give up on a fight, he was caring, and he was kind and smart.

The thoughts of what Yuri use to be burned the blonde's mind. The image of his old friend's face threatened to resurface inside the captain's brain and tears filled his eyes. He didn't want to remember, he didn't want to believe. The idea of reminiscing on old memories seemed impossible to the captain, but the thought of thinking about the present seemed unbearable.

He opened his eyes to Estellise's back, where her pressing voice was talking to Rita in muted whispers.

"Estellise?" Flynn posed, hoping the idea was what was making the two females excited.

"We can end this once and for all... probably even save Karol!" Rita said, her voice filled with excitement. She seemed hopeful compared to the earlier version of the mage he'd seen just hours ago. From where the blonde was laying, he could see the expressive face of the brunette. Her eyes glittered like he remembered, but there was a darkness to them. Some unexplainable darkness that seemed to simmer just around the edge of her eyes, and it added another layer to her already dreary face.

The green glow of her eyes that had illuminated rooms was now nothing more than the dull green of almost dead grass; her skin was pale and blotched with bruises that seemed to multiply every second. Her dress only seemed to half fit her, no proper size fitting her malnourished body anymore. Her stance was much less certain, but still, there was a tone to her voice that showed, despite what she'd said earlier, she had hope.

"It just might work," Estellise said, her voice monotone. It seemed like she wasn't ready to throw her faith behind this attempt. Almost like there had been so many failed attempts that it was exhausting to put anymore hope into another chance.

"It will work! I'll make sure this time!" Rita shouted, her voice packed with emotion.

Flynn watched as she exited the room, not even throwing a glace at the captain as she left. He almost felt out of the loop, put off or out of place... that this wasn't his war, this wasn't his fight, his sacrifice, but now he was shoved in the middle of the battle without any weapons. His enemy; the person he looked up to the most in the world. The person who was his best friend since childhood, since he could even remember, and Yuri had a full arsenal up his sleeve.

He squeezed his eyes shut as memories poured in from all crevices of his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, Estellise was gone. The room felt suddenly colder, and with a start, Flynn shot up, ignoring the pain that filled his veins.

"Estellise?" He called, his voice cracking a bit.

Had it all been a dream? Was he still stuck in that pit called nightmare while dirt was being shoveled in? The air in his lungs wheezed out and Flynn fought for breath. His mind started going into overdrive, wondering if he'd done everything right? Was he going crazy? Was this all a dream? What did he do wrong?

The questioned burned a hole in his skull as he threw himself off the bed. His legs gave way under the sudden onslaught of body weight and Flynn collapsed to the ground.

The harshly wooden floor was cool to the touch. It tickled the senses and sent an icy chill up the sole of one's foot. Water pooled along the ground as the pit-pat rain drooled down from the ceiling, making it slick. It sloshed as Flynn fell, the water soaking into the blonde's clothing and hair as if they were a sponge. The water itself was cold, sending tiny droplet sized shock waves through Flynn's system as he felt it scatter across his skin.

For some reason, he couldn't move; he could barley breath. Fear and anger racked his body as tears streamed down his face.

Why was he crying?

He didn't know, but for some reason, everything seemed hopeless and cold.

Cold... the water reminded him of that.

So cold, so alone. Everything felt as if it was crumbling down and shattering across the floor like shards of glass. Each shard having it's own story and it's own danger and as each shard bounced across the ground, it was another tiny hole in Flynn's heart.

One... two... three...

The holes mounted up, continually stabbing him, over and over, eventually leading to a pain nothing else could compare to.

He'd never felt so horrible in his entire life.

He was a caged bird. Wings clipped and legs broken.

"Oh my God!"

The blonde didn't register the voice at first. It seemed so distant. Almost hours, days, years away, but time didn't matter anymore. He was drowning, god-awful breath by god-awful breath he took in more water. He was drowning in the icy cold waters of fate, but there was no reason for it. He felt as if he was dieing, his lungs losing air by the second, his insides burning like fire, begging him to breath, but nothing would come. His brain refused to take in any more air, and eventually, his lungs began to starve for oxygen.

The voice persisted, calling his name until Flynn's mind could no longer ignore it, finally he came to his senses.

"Raven?"

Slowly everything went numb. The feelings of before vanished into the back of his mind, and his sensation of slowly drowning passed. Flynn drew his head up a bit, looking at the older man whose black hair was pulled back in a bushy ponytail.

"What's goin' on? You okay?"

With a slight and shaky nod, Flynn said, "Where's Estellise?"

Raven gave the captain a quizzical look, "She's in the conference room with Judith and Rita, why?"

The blonde didn't really have an explanation for it, but he felt a cool calm fall over his insides as he spoke, "I need to talk to them about the new idea."

"Hell no buddy. You're far to injured ta be participating in any outdoor activities, that's fer sure. The princess just got ya back; I doubt she'd want to lose you again." Raven seemed set in this, almost like he'd been told to tell Flynn that, but the captain wasn't going to give up. Something whispered in the back of his mind, replaying over and over, saying he couldn't give up, he had to press on, it was always darkest before the dawn.

"I need to see them."

The black haired man gave his head a solid shake, "and I said no."

"It's important."

Flynn set determination in his mind. Whatever was talking to him now was trying to tell him something. Perhaps the only way to set things right was to fix the problem here, and that meant killing Yuri before he could kill anyone else. Home was his destination, and now he had to fight to get back. There wasn't any room for Flynn to lie around and whine about how things were going. If anything was going to be fixed, it had to be now.

"Rita's orders... she's the boss around this place next ta Estelle."

The blonde winced at Raven's nonchalant use of the nickname Yuri had so fondly given to Estellise years ago. It hurt deep down inside, almost like a painful reminder of what was happening.

"I need to talk to Estellise."

Raven closed his eyes and gave a sigh, one that sounded much older than his age. When he reopened his sea blue eyes, concern and an overall tiredness escaped from them. "Rita's going ta kill me for this, but I suppose there isn't a real problem in doing that."

The captain wasn't sure if he was suppose to laugh at the sarcasm, or if there was even sarcasm in the remark, but he accepted the hand the black haired man gave when he stood up.

Horribly slow movements got Flynn to a standing position, where he then struggled to put one foot in front of the other. He squeezed his eyes shut with every step, and actually appreciated that the old man remained silent while they walked down the hallway that led to the conference room. From his placement in the hall, Flynn could hear Rita's voice echoing from the conference room up ahead,

"-Some of the men will go on the offensive, while others will help protect the men we'll use to move into the camp. Once inside, we'll have our soldiers attack the guards, making it so Scarlet and Cumore have to come out of hiding... then, our men will kill Cumore and capture Scarlet alive! It's our best shot at freeing the other camps around the world, and it's our best plan to free the people trapped inside Zaphis's camp... If Karol's in there, I'm sure we can count on his help!"

Shouts of approval came from the room as Flynn stepped in.

He could see a long table filled with men clad in armor and the occasional Krityans clad in their slightly modest clothing. The cheers came from all around as Rita, who stood up front, her long brown hair falling down to her waist, pointed to the map one last time, shouting something that Flynn didn't catch over the hoots and hollers coming from the crowd.

The room itself though, was rather small, already packed to the brink with people who had decided to come see the explanation of how the underground war would finally be won and in the far corner of the room, closest to Rita, was Estellise. She had her long pink hair hung over one shoulder while in the other arm she had Elizabeth Mae.

Flynn instantly felt the air lighten. It seemed to do that when Estellise was around. His heart fluttered a little as he set his eyes on her. She couldn't be alive, but she was... against all odds she'd survived, and for that, the blonde was grateful.

"I think it's a noble idea," said a female.

With previous knowledge in mind, the captain was able to quickly match a name to the familiar face that walked up to where Rita stood.

Her blue hair was longer than he remembered, but he never did have a good idea at its length since she'd normally worn it up, but he could tell by her bangs that her hair had grown. She also seemed slightly taller, and was wearing just a bit more clothes than he recalled her wearing during their previous meetings...

"I believe it's a good sign that Flynn showed up and information came that Karol's alive. I agree with this plan."

More shouts came from the crowd, and Rita spoke back up, "well, if Judith agrees, than that must mean it's a really good plan!"

The crowd then broke into laughter at some joke that must have gone over the blonde's head.

"Alright, everyone has a job to do," Rita said, silencing the crowd, "so everyone get to your stations and prepare for battle!"

Another battle cry came and then the meeting was over. People began filing out, lowering their heads down as they pasted Flynn, almost like they recognized him, and in some way, wanted to give their apologizes. The room remained eerily quiet while people left, making a stark contrast to the earlier rowdy bunch that Flynn had first encountered and then, it was like the meeting had never happened.

The room seemed larger, all the chairs neatly placed near the table as if a custodian had come to clean up in the time it took the people to leave the room. It seemed colder, lonelier almost, and the earlier enthusiasm was gone.

Rita's face held a mix of quizzical anger and concern. Her eyebrows were squished together in the center of her forehead and her eyes were closed in concentration.

She could put on a good act, Flynn supposed.

"Rita, before you say anything-" Raven tried, but was hushed by the brunette's hand.

"Flynn, I was just meaning to talk to you," Rita spoke, taking a brisk stroll to meet up with the captain. "You were inside the camp, correct?"

To Flynn, it seemed like an odd question. From what he understood, someone had found him outside the camp, so his origin had to be obvious, "yes."

He wasn't going to spend time worrying about the details though. From how many times the blonde had met the mage, she always seemed to be on top of things.

"When I was inside the camp, as well as the few reports we got from Karol, ditches were being dug, correct?"

The captain blinked a couple of times, "y-yes. That's the job that everyone in the camp has."

Rita closed her eyes tightly, crossing her arms across her chest. Her head tilted in as if she was deep in thought.

"Um, ms. Rita…" Flynn tried, but was quickly stopped by Raven's signal,

"Hush, hush. If Rita's concentratin', it's best not ta bother her. She has a nasty and violent habit of lashing out if she's bothered."

For a few minutes, the room was silent. Honestly, the question of the ditches had been stuck in the back of the blonde's mind since he'd seen them. The situations he'd found himself in never allowed thought on the subject though. With a few minutes to ponder it, Flynn found himself thinking over the same thing Rita probably was… what were they for?

"I don't know if that's possible…" Rita finally mumbled, more to herself than anything else. Her eyes remained closed, making Flynn wonder if she was just talking to herself, or if she wanted some sort of reaction.

"What's possible?" He decided to ask.

Raven shot him a look, but the auburn headed mage opened her eyes calmly, "I'm not one hundred percent sure. I don't want to say anything until I get more data… this infiltration into the camp should provide some good clues." She huffed in determination; "we're going to need a lot of fire power on this one. I'm going to have to take the front lines."

Without another word, Rita briskly walked out, plans and thoughts speeding through her head.

"Well, I guess it's good we disobeyed her orders, huh?" Raven remarked. The old man took in a deep breath then let it out, and putting his hands up, gestured towards Estellise, "ya really came here for her, right?"

His blue knowing eyes gazed into Flynn's and the blonde knew what the old man was really saying. There were things Flynn needed to ask about, and things he needed to say.

Without another word, Raven left the room, leaving the pink-haired female and the blonde alone.

With pain ever present in his mind, Flynn stepped slowly towards the woman that sent butterflies into his stomach, the woman he'd give the world for.

Something about the thought sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't grasp where the emotions were coming from, but he knew a deep desire was burning inside of him, and it was all that was fueling him now. Save Yuri and protect Estellise... or die trying.

There were no more 'don'ts' in the blonde's world anymore. He would do anything now; risk everything, in a vain and impossible attempt at bringing everything back to the way it was, to fix what had been broken. The fire burned inside the small cavity of his heart, sending red-hot blood through his veins.

"Estellise," He said, compassion in his voice.

The pink-headed female seemed happy to see the blonde. She gave a thin smile, and hoisted Elizabeth Mae a bit higher on her hip, "do you need something Flynn?"

Flynn hesitated a moment, unsure of how to word his thoughts. If he spoke the truth, he feared being ridiculed or denied access to the battlefield, but if he lied, he wasn't going to get an accurate answer.

He debated for only a second. It really was a question, he had to tell the truth and hope for a helpful response, "Estellise, by now, it's hopefully obvious that I'm not from here."

Her face didn't really change, but a new wave of shock filled her eyes.

"I can't explain it," the blonde spoke, "but when I brought this up with Karol in the camp, he said that Scarlet might know how to get me back home. I was brought here by a floating blastia of sorts. It was blue in color, and I was wondering if you'd see anything like it."

It took a moment for the pink haired female to respond, "once."

A wave of mixed emotions filled the blonde's heart. What did 'once' mean? "Estellise, please, tell me where."

"It was when Yuri was taking over the capital. When I was running away, I remember seeing a floating blue object… I couldn't tell what it was, but Yuri was near it at that point… I've never seen it since."

Flynn closed his eyes. What did that mean then? It certainly meant that Yuri knew a way to get Flynn home; it was only a matter of it being accessible. Her voice interrupted his thoughts,

"I suppose you're going to join the fight too?"

It really wasn't a question. Estellise knew, Flynn knew... it was inevitable. Flynn, though, gave a slight nod. He was a bit taken back by the pink-haired females forwardness, but there was no use beating around the bush.

Estellise carefully stuck out her hand and placed it over his chest.

Flynn felt a tingle run through his body, but also pain. It was an obvious indicator of what she was saying. "I promise to come back Estellise." The blonde placed his hand over the princess's.

A small gesture, but it spoke volumes to both of them.

"I can't make you stay." She said, keeping her hand safely under Flynn's, "but I can at least answer your question… Elizabeth Mae-" Estellise tried, but the words choked in her throat. Tears filled her eyes, and Flynn pulled her close to him, cradling both the older and younger women in his arms.

"It's okay..." Flynn whispered, trying to comfort her.

Estellise gave a nod into the blonde's shoulder, but spoke her next words clearly, "She's our daughter."

-0-0-0-0-

A/N-*Full body shutter* I am hoping everyone made it this far. I just want you all to know it was just as hard to type as it was for you to read. :D It's hard to explain, many of you are writers yourselves though, so it's understandable, but I don't write these stories, the characters do. It just so happened that... well... you know, with Yuri and stuff... it happened. Most of that will be left to your imaginations, so don't worry about any explict scenes between the two of them. I'm going to guess many of you would like to see Cumore die right about now but alas, he's still alive and well. Now, you didn't hear it from me, but perhaps he's going to get his just deserves soon enough? Also, for anyone who is still worried about it, similar instances only happen about two more times? Like I said, it'll be nothing explict(Pretty much nothing worse than what happened here). There is a reason! I don't like randomly pairing my fave character with perhaps, my most hated character, so never fear, it will be explained, like everything else, in due time.

To be perfectly honest, this is the chapter that scares me the most reader/reviewer wise. I'm nervous and excited to see what you guys have to say about what happened with Yuri... I think if I make it through this chapter, I'll make it through the rest.

Things will start coming together nicely in the next couple of chapters, as we start to see what's going on inside the camp and Yuri's head.

Thanks always for those who read and those who review. I really want to hear what you guys thought, so all reviews are welcome(except flames of course, they will not be tolerated). Please don't be to harsh with comments... like I stated, this is perhaps the scariest chapter for me that I've put up and will. I'm going to wager most of you didn't like the pairing(of course, neither do I) but I'll appricate what you have to say about it. Your reactions will be most welcome.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"As we dance with the devil tonight"

-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-

Perhaps it was the rain.

Yes, it had to be the rain.

The constant downpour on his soul that etched it's very murmur into his skull. The inconsistent flash of lightning that creased the sky and the bellows of thunder as it boomed from the clouds.

Yes, it had to be the rain.

Normally his mood was bitter to the point of almost not caring but today, everything was getting on his nerves. Even the smallest misstep caused a furious explosion of hatred to seep through his mask. He screamed at everyone who didn't move out of the way fast enough when he had paced up and down the halls and he challenged every single thing a person brought to him.

Yuri growled in frustration as another insistent knock came at his door. It'd been the sixth time since he'd woken up that someone had decided there was some 'informing the ruler' to do. In all honesty, Yuri had wanted so badly to chop every person's head off in the entire camp, but he held back... at least, that was at the third interruption.

Now well into the pounding of the door as the sixth person decided they wanted to ruin his day, the thought of slaughtering people sounded horribly pleasant. Just the thought of the fresh coat of red paint that would soak the mud made the clawing in his head louder. For just a brief second, he contemplated what would happen if he ignored the knocking. Perhaps the person would just leave, figuring that Yuri was out with Cumore or something.

The thought made a chill roll down his spine.

Cumore had 'wanted things' last night and finally, Yuri had to give in. He wrapped his arms tighter around his chest at the images that flashed across his eyes and placed his head against the cool window he sat near.

Pit pat sounded inside his skull, clearing ideas, thoughts and feelings with it.

Oh how he hated the rain and loved it so much at the same time.

Before he could go anywhere with that thought, the knocking continued louder than before and Yuri finally pulled himself away from the window and towards the door.

Whomever was behind the dark wood was in for a nasty surprise when they found the ruler pissed off.

He grabbed the cool knob and yanked it open with more force than the howling wind outside would be able to muster. The knight whom had been knocking seemed to make that connection too because he started quivering a bit.

The dark haired man noted a small shake in his leg and a shiver to his voice.

Comically, Yuri wondered if he had the face of a demon on right now. If he looked just as terrifying as he felt, he was confident anyone would run for their lives.

The thought was brushed away as the knight finally found his voice,

"Sir, the other man, K-18, was located and brought in for questioning by you whenever you feel ready."

K-18?

Yuri struggled to remember just who that was.

A clap of thunder and a heavy wash of rain against the roof trickled faded memories into his brain.

He was the man who'd been helping Flynn Scifo with the prison escape that happened days ago... or was it weeks? Yuri knew it hadn't been minutes ago because he'd been in his room all day getting irritated by guards who were interested in bothering him.

"Thank you." A much harsher tone came out of that then the ruler had planned, but it got the desired effect. The knight shrunk away and left.

Yuri closed the door tightly. He hoped that there wouldn't be more interruptions today but that wasn't likely.

So K-18 had been caught?

Vague memories swirled in his brain from a fight that seemed like it had happened a long time ago. The distinct smell of blood filled his veins and the raw, dead grassy meadow... he could feel that on his legs.

Nothing else though. No people. It seemed related to K-18 somehow, but in his mind, he couldn't connect the two.

"Whatever..." he spoke to himself in an attempt to brush it off.

It was hardly important. He remembered who the person was and knew what their crimes were. All that was left was the fun part, deciding the verdict.

The dark haired man meandered to his bed, stripping off a couple layers of clothing while he was at it. Regardless of what he the guards wanted him to do, he was hardly in the mood to do it. He settled himself down on the comfortable mattress. The deep red sheets reminded him of where he'd come from, or rather where he considered himself from, and it made a rather satisfying laugh echo in his head. From in his skull, the haunting creature laughed and laughed.

Not that there was anything particularly funny about the color red, but it had it's worth.

He closed his eyes and let the rain sooth him.

At the moment, rain softly peaked against the glass. It gave a low hum, almost like a song, and the ruler found himself floating between sleep. He felt his body get light as he allowed himself to slip further and further into rest. At first, he felt like he was floating and then, slowly, he settled on the ocean surface and began rocking back and forth.

All of that in his mind, he began to feel his limbs grow limp and his eyes getting heavier and heavier and of course, that was when he dreamed.

-0-0-0-0-

The world was pure white.

It was as if snow was constantly obstructing his vision and yet, it didn't feel cold. All around him, glimmering white moved and vibrated as if it was a breathing, living organism. Heat warmed his skin as the light slowly began to meld into something other than white.

Tall spires and crystal clear windows appeared in the image. As it created tall walls, the windows and spires placed themselves accordingly. Arches and doorways creased the fabric of the pure white and eventually ripped a hole in it. It wasn't this that shocked him though, it was what happened next.

A color he wasn't even sure he could name anymore sprouted around the building. It was just layer upon layer of that color, slowly the color formed something he did know of though, grass.

Short cropped and colored much brighter than he'd seen in a while. It shifted in an breeze he could now feel on his face.

It was warm, not cold. Not watery as he'd grown accustom to. It felt as if it was tickling his cheeks, rustling his hair around his shoulders.

Above, as the world focused in front of him, Yuri felt something he never thought he'd feel again.

Peace.

It started with his toes, spreading through his legs and stomach and finally reaching his head. All of his muscles relaxed and he collapsed on the lush brightly colored grass. How he wished he could remember the color! It was now pressed against his face as he laid on the ground. It felt like peach fuzz against his skin, so raw from the cold, clammy rain.

He inhaled deeply, smelling warm soil.

Grass and warm soil... there was something pleasant about it that he missed. As the calm emptied from his body, he noticed that something was nagging at his attention. It started out small and then worked into his brain.

The white.

He glanced up, away from the comfort of the grass, and saw the white.

It felt like a rock dropped in his stomach. There was something sinister about the white, something unwelcoming. The tall spires and crystal clear windows watched him as he shifted about in the grass. No, those weren't watching him, something else was.

Terror reached his chest and he glanced around, suddenly very unsure of his surroundings.

Nothing was in sight, but he could feel it. He could smell it on the wind as it blew across his face. Something foul, like the odor of rotten milk, filled the air.

Suddenly, the grass around him began to wilt. It turned from the marvelous shade it had been and began to grow to a sick looking yellow, and from there, a deadened brown. It grew in length, from the peach fuzz to tall, hideous stalks.

He screamed and pulled himself from the grass and ran towards the white.

The ever watching walls allowed Yuri access as he charged through a finely made arch, into a court yard, where beautiful flowers began to wilt. The image frightened him to no end, making his feet hit the carved stone floors harder.

A large, intricately designed door stood at the end of a long hallway, flowers in window boxes dieing as Yuri ran. The door seemed like it was shut tight, but as he threw himself against it in a desperate attempt to break it down, it flew open, landing him on the floor.

He felt his elbow pop painfully, his knee banging against the floor with an echoing thud. The doors swung shut without help, leaving him in darkness.

The dark haired man rolled over onto his back, wheezing a bit.

He was inside the white walls.

A horror that he'd only felt once before entered his body.

He bolted up, all pain gone from his body. Sweat broke out over his skin and his breathing became labored. Get out... he had to get out.

Suddenly he was on his feet and running. Running forwards, to where the door should have been but wasn't anymore.

It was another wave of horror that caused him to turn around and frantically run the other way.

Anything was better than sitting still, waiting in the darkness for that monster to come back.

Unpleasant memories rose from the darkness, first in whispers, then in roars. No matter how hard he ran in the infinite darkness, the feelings followed, catching up to him as his legs tired. There was no way in hell he was going back to that time, that place, but as his knee began to protest and his mind was on the verge of breaking down, he tripped.

Down he tumbled, into the vast darkness, feeling that horrible thing following close behind. As he hit step after step of the staircases he fell down, he felt the world around him grow cold. It was as if he was sinking into the earth itself.

Finally, after what seemed to be forever, he hit solid ground. His shoulder ached, his back throbbed and his head swirled as he tried to rectify his position.

At the moment, the horror was gone, chased away by whatever was in the area he was in now.

Around him, he felt a familiar pulse. Like the beat of a bass, Yuri felt the vibrations come in equal measures. A static hum consumed the air and the rumble beneath his feet grew louder.

Against everything he knew, the ruler moved towards the familiarity. As he moved, the area around him grew less and less black. Soon, the walls began to show themselves and the familiarity stood in front of him.

Deep in his ribs, he knew what was before him.

He felt the hum coincided with the rhythmic beating against his chest, and in that moment, he knew exactly where he was.

Yuri squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to see, not again. There was nothing in this room that would bring him pleasure, instead, it'd bring on exactly what he'd been running from. All of those memories, those feelings, would hit him full force and he'd be back where he started.

Closing his eyes didn't block out all of his senses though, as his nose was flooded with a horrible smell.

The smell of something dieing. First, it was the flowery sweet smell of a rose fading from its life. There was something foreboding about it, and seconds later, he found out what. Iron, the sickly sweet smell of salt and iron mixed with the smell of burnt flesh. It was nauseating, and the rumble of what was in front of him didn't help.

The sound came next.

Moaning, whining, the harsh sound of metal scrapping against metal as the last few people jockey for survival. A wheeze of breath that could only be his own, Yuri realized he'd opened his eyes.

Hell, he was staring at what he'd seen before.

All around him, the white walls had been died red. Even the ceiling had life liquid spread along it. The sticky smell of it aroused so many feelings in Yuri that he threw up, bile clashing with the red that painted the ground.

It was then, the twinge of something in his brain, that felt bad for messing up the art.

That was when the clawing began.

The entire room began to shake as the demon behind the mask tried to get in. The stairs shuttered, as if scared, and started sliding up, closing Yuri in a square room. All around him, people were dead, some still barely alive and not compassionately put out of their misery.

"You should let him in..." one voice rasped.

Yuri felt his insides go cold.

"What did you say?" He found his own words lacking the authority that usually held.

"Let him in," another person replied.

The shuttering of the room intensified as more people spoke up. Even the ones he'd thought had been dead began to raise their voices as the clawing began to penetrate the room.

"Let him in."

"You should let him in."

"Shut up!" Yuri spat.

Everything around him was shattering. The bodies began falling apart, the walls, dyed red, began to rip open as hideous claws worked their way into the room.

"Let him in."

"Let him in."

"Let him in."

"Shut up!" He tried again, the voices drowning out his own, "you can't control me, you can't tell me what to do!"

His voice cracked near the end and he collapsed onto his knees.

Red glittered all around him as the claws made their way through.

A haunting voice, a voice that made his veins chill, spoke from the claws, from the evil demon from behind the mask,

"You really are pathetic Yuri Lowell."

Flynn Scifo's voice.

Just the man's name sapped all energy from the ruler's body and caused him to shake uncontrollably.

"Don't worry," another voice spoke, this one bringing about rage, "I've done what no one else has done before..."

A response came to that, one Yuri wanted to shout to the heavens, but cold hands came from behind him and began chocking him.

Breathing was difficult and all the while, the words echoed in his head as the red settled on him, painting him a brilliant shade of scarlet.

-0-0-0-0-

Yuri woke with a violent start. He threw himself off the bed, the red comforter flying off in discord. The red silk sheets underneath stuck to his legs and chest with sweat and all he could do was flail pathetically on the floor as he fought with himself to breath.

Finally, he ripped the sheets off and chucked them across the room. They hit the wall with a thud and landed in a mess on the floor.

The red was off though.

He could breath again.

The dark haired man curled up on the floor, shivering against the cool wood. He wanted to cry but no tears would come, so he just laid there, awkwardly half sobbing as he sucked air in and out of his lungs.

How pathetic he had to look.

He heard a laugh from deep inside his head, and for one second he wanted to tell it to shut up.

Impractical though, because it only laughed at the idea of him wanting to command it.

Hurried footsteps echoed in the room, and suddenly he could hear voices.

"Sir Scarlet!" One shouted.

He heard the familiar clink of armor and sighed inwardly. How had he not heard a knock at the door?

He tried to sit up but found that his legs and arms were locked in a curled position. All of his muscles were ridged and his breathing was fast. He was apparently a lot worse off then he even thought.

"Scarlet!"

Two arms gripped Yuri's and heaved him up, placing him on the bed and using the red blankets to cover him, which was the last thing he wanted to do.

Inside his mind, he wanted to react violently. He wanted to kick and claw at the guards faces just to keep the red off him, but he forced those ideas back. A couple guards gave him concerned looks through their helmets, but didn't question it.

The ruler was still shaking but he balled his fists and glared at the men in his room,

"What are you doing here?"

"Sir, we informed you of a prisoner earlier, and we were expecting you half an hour ago for the interrogation."

It was perhaps the worst thing he could do to himself right now. Staring at more blood only made fear come back into his body, but what else could he do?

-0-0-0-0-

Yuri entered the room.

Anger pulled at his limbs, but he settled it within his head. Without another thought about what he'd gone through in the last half hour, he gazed at K-18.

The teen was strung up by his wrists with metal clasps and wires. From what the dark haired man could see, the brunette had been there for quite awhile, blood oozing from fresh wounds, and crusted blood around the edges.

His face was beaten, a trickle of the life liquid come from one side of his mouth. One eye was nearly swollen shut and one cheek had puffiness from what could had only been a fight.

Bent at an odd angle, the brunette's right leg was hanging limply in the air and his chest heaved with effort to breath. Obvious dried blood spots were scattered over his chest, some, Yuri figured, were from the battle the two of them had had, but others looked fresh. Black lines encircled the teen's neck, making the ruler wonder just how the knights had fished the man out.

K-18's entire body shook, some form of shock and fear probably going around in his head.

"So you started a rebellion?" Yuri questioned.

He wasn't in the mood for an interrogation. His only hope was that the teen would get his wits about him and speak quickly so he could die quickly.

A long moment passed, nothing being said.

"Speak."

More seconds ticked by without a sound from the teen. He simply hung there, good eye focused in on Yuri's face intently.

A flash of anger mixed with fear flushed through the ruler's system so quickly his entire body went numb. He staggered for a moment as his brain rebooted itself into thinking clearly. There was a determination in that face that caused the air inside his lungs to leave.

He'd seen that face before.

Memories flooded his consciousness, but he couldn't label any of them. No faces were present, just shadowy outlines of events that had happened to long ago for Yuri to remember.

It wasn't until he came back to his senses that he noticed he was shaking in anger. Each limb vibrated with a warm sensation. The sword in his hand tingled with anticipation and his heart hammered inside his chest. That face made acid spill into his veins, and as he lifted his sword, the demon behind the mask chuckled loudly.

There wasn't any more thought, there was only movement. In a flash, the dark haired man's blade was slashing across K-18's skin, red life liquid spilling upon the floor like water.

Yuri swung back and forth, in large arch, timing his blade's movements to his own pounding heart.

No noise escaped the brunette. He didn't scream or utter any foul phrases as the blade lacerated his gray skin. With each strike, he remained like a rock, his eye staring intently at Yuri.

It was like he could looking into the swordsman's soul. It probably wasn't until his blade was soaked with blood, his clothes splattered in it and his body aching with each swing that he noticed there was a fear there. A fear of someone being able to penetrate his mind that deep. K-18's gray eyes seemed to be all knowing, almost accepting, of the fate that he had now, and he simply stared into Yuri's face with that knowledge.

It was terrifying.

A memory of the nightmare that had haunted him only minutes earlier came into his mind. It was the same terror he'd felt then.

No, it was those same eyes. The same eyes that had looked him up and down that fateful day that had turned his entire world scarlet.

Fury like no other took over his body, and he swung at the teen haphazardly, not carrying anymore what happened.

With each swing, he felt his body expend energy it no longer had. Every muscle in his body ached, protesting such frantic movements, but he could care less. He had to continue until his body burned away the rage fueling his body.

With each wild swing, the voice inside his mind laughed just a bit louder.

Each cut, ripping the skin from the muscle, caused blood to splatter onto the already saturated ground, which only made the voice laugh louder and louder and louder until it was all Yuri could hear in his head.

The insane laughter that was like nails against a chalk board, but at this moment, he really didn't care.

-0-0-0-0-

Just so you know... I believe I have the best reviewers on fanfiction. I was extremely nervous about last chapter and you guys just rocked out on the reviews. I thank you so much! I'm highly honored to have such great reviewers! I just thought I'd throw that in here quickly, because you guys are awesome. :)

Anyways, yes, it's an update! It feels like it's been awile. I had a tough time with this chapter because I had to write it from scratch compared to what I normally do, which is edited the chapters I already have typed. There's a long explantion about why this chapter needed to be written, but hopefully the next update will come out faster. (All I need to do with that chapter is edit it)

As always, I hoped you enjoyed! Thank you readers and thank you reviewers again!

Oh, and just a note... the next chapter will focus on Yuri again. Isn't peering into his mind fun? ;)


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven  
"Say goodbye, as we Dance with the Devil tonight..."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-0-

The stitches in his wounds hurt as he gently moved his shoulder from side to side.

His entire body ached as his muscles pulled against his bones.

Knights buzzed around him, stitching back up the holes that K-18 had made in the dead meadow, cleaning off the blood that splattered the ruler's face.

His entire body screamed at him for having expended so much precious energy on a frivolous rampage. If the knights hadn't dragged him from the room when they had, he wasn't sure what K-18 would have ended up in... of course, he couldn't remember now.

Yuri closed his eyes, trying desperately to recall the event, but he found that that memory was far away, just like all the others were becoming. Even the memories he'd use to be fond of, the one's that, every time he thought of them, he'd smile... those were disappearing from his mind as well. All of the things that had once been reliable during hard times were now gone from him like a wisp of smoke.

First the words were just muted, like watching the people on a TV laugh without the noise, and one just wondered why they were laughing, then the picture became fuzzy and colors started to fade, eventually turning black and white. Faces disappeared, and with that, any indication of what the people were expressing. Even their body movements became ridged as Yuri forgot the details of how they moved, how they breathed, and eventually, if they were even there at all.

He tried to hold onto as many memories as possible, but they all slipped away, and the only things he could remember were memories of pain and suffering.

He could recall with perfect accuracy of how he'd taken over the capital city. How he'd basically bathed in all of the captain's blood, and watched their flesh sizzle in the castle fire. He could name off the sights, sounds and smells with perfect detail. He could even spell out the date, say how many steps he'd taken to reach the castle, how many times he had to stab each guard for them to let out their final groan and fall to the ground dead.

But he couldn't recall his tenth birthday. He remembered that it'd been important somehow. Something special had happened, but no amount of thinking on it could bring back the memory.

It was black, like everything else in his life.

Yuri straightened up a bit, seeing how his arm was reacting. It throbbed whenever it moved, sending a nauseating wave through his system.

"Sir, it'd be best for you not to move for a little while," one knight spoke bravely.

Yuri shot the man an angry growl, but in all honestly, the knight was right. His body protested with each small movement as if he were older than he was.

"Sir," another man commented, "those wounds had been taken care of, but your aggressive outburst towards the inmate caused them to reopen. You must not move until they have healed."

Yuri, in no mood for conversation, simply stated, "I can do what I want."

The knight seemed appalled at the statement, "Well, yes sir, but we just successfully closed your wounds twice now, and it'd be in your better judgment to stay put. We don't have any healers in the camp-"

Yuri cut them off, "You can all leave now."

It was a command that all of them followed without another word of opposition. With haste, every knight exited the room, leaving the ruler to his thoughts.

"I hate this..." He spoke to himself. He shifted his weight around as he sat on the bed. Eventually his eyes landed on his weapon, which was laying alone on the red sheets. He would have laughed at some sort of vague irony if it didn't hurt to do so.

His fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt, the feeling of it familiar. He released it and ran his fingers up the cool blade, feeling the sharp edges with the soft pads of his fingers. Recollection of the fight with Flynn, followed closely by the fight with K-18 tugged at the dark haired man's brain. Details that were probably true cross wired with details he knew were false, all mixed inside his brain like a strong alcoholic drink.

It burn his skull, like most of his clear thoughts, and he did his best to ignore it.

Instead, the dark haired man tried to recall exactly how K-18 had managed to slam the sword into his body, but he just couldn't remember.

It had been the first major blow against him and he'd staggered. Red had flashed across his vision, rather from anger or from the blood, he wasn't sure and then all he could remember after that was a violent approach to the brown haired teen's last stand.

It was probably a bad sign that he was forgetting even recent events now. It was bad enough forgetting what had happened a long time ago, but he couldn't even remember a fight he'd won a couple days ago.

It had to be progressing. It was the only explanation.

He'd been aware that the time was coming, but he didn't think it'd be so soon. Everything had to be accelerated then, but that was no easy task.

Yuri squeezed his eyes shut and threw himself down on the bed.

The pillows and blankets swallowed him whole, covering him in a with darkness.

"How fitting," Yuri said to no one in particular, "a blanket covers me in black too…"

The poor man hadn't been much for poetic devices, but there was something beautiful about his plan. Justice could finally be served, once and for all, and nothing could stop him.

Justice was barley the tip of the iceberg, but it was all the people were going to feast on. He would be the only one to gain any revenge in the matter... Cumore would be dead, the pesky underground would be gone, and perhaps, in death, Yuri could gain something that he'd never been able to gain in life.

For once, he'd have the fair end of the deal. He was always counted last, and just the mere thought made his blood boil.

He'd had the last thing stolen from him a long time ago, and now, he was determined to keep all of it; everything he'd fought for was going to stay in his possession.

It had demanded sacrifice, but what did he care? Flynn had taken everything Yuri had ever cared about and stomped it into the ground, smothering it with the mud and filth of the dirt, ever so common of the lower quarter of the capital; a place Yuri knew to well. Flynn had tossed him down there during knighthood, and Yuri had been quickly forgotten... left to rot and left alone.

Flynn had always been the lucky child. He was the one who had been so gifted, so likeable, but Yuri was the one who'd always fought for justice. He had done everything in his power to make Flynn happy, and what did the blonde do? Yuri ended up runner up in a long line of successes.

In a fit of rage, the dark haired man flung the blankets to the ground, and grabbed the nearest lamp, hurtling it towards the wall. With a solid crack, the glass broke and sprinkled across the ground.

He was still angry though.

Flynn had ruined everything when he came into the picture, no! Even before that!

With another throw, Yuri threw another lamp across the room, letting it meet the same fate as it's earlier counterpart. He kicked desks, knocked over the bed, scattered the bedding everywhere, but rage still clogged his veins.

It took but a second for the dark haired man's blade to connect with the wooden frame of the bed. He swung several times; each time he released a raw scream from his throat.

One hit...

Two...

Three...

Pain engulfed his mind like wildfire, but still Yuri cracked away at the wooden frame, watching pieces fling in every which way, watching as the wood splintered and fell away, collapsing on the ground in muted agony.

It wasn't enough... it was never enough. Fury pumped out of the dark haired man's skin like sweat, filling the room with its foreboding darkness, and it was all Yuri could do but to keep swinging. Even as his body stiffened in pain, even as the bed frame split in two and crumbled to the ground. Usually pain had a way of stifling the anger, but this time nothing would help. The dark voice from the back of his head began to laugh, encouraging the violence, cooing that it was the only way out of the hell Yuri was enduring.

It went on and on until Yuri's arms were numb, his legs weak and he collapsed to the ground.

Anger burned at his heart, but his muscles protested any more use. The stitches that had just been worked on had torn loose, allowing a new flow of blood to run from the wounds.

He didn't cry. He didn't let one tear squeeze out from his eyes, but his brows were set in a determined state of rage, and he glared at the floor because that was all he could do.

The pain that racked his body had no effect on his mind's clear processes. Anger was all that drove him now. Despair had withered away until it was but a baby in the corner of the room, silently crying out to the world for protection.

Rage was what fueled his being now, rage was what he fed on, what kept his will going, because it was all he had left.

It was that, or depend on the silent child crying in a corner, and by now, he knew that that was useless in it's own ways.

Quietly, he stood from his squatting position, allowing his legs to wobble underneath him. Pain had released him before, but now it wasn't working... nothing could save him from the dark recesses of him mind. It's tantalizing call, gentle face and peaceful presence; but underneath all of that, it was a screaming banshee, waiting for another chance at freedom.

The only sound in the room was the whispering tick-tock of the clock and the distant pit-pat of the rain. It was a strange silence, the two sounds not really mixing well, but having an odd harmony. The clock was steady, never missing a beat, while the rain was changing... constantly changing in direction or speed, it's amounts and sounds. It was different than the clock, which always stayed the same; the rain was to scared to stay the same, or perhaps smart enough to change.

Smart enough...

Yuri let out an audible sigh. His muscles throbbed, the pain already ebbing away into the deep pain in his heart.

It really wasn't anything new. The more pain that clawed it's way inside his heart, the more he could ignore the outside world. Ignore it all, with it's confusion and ghastly enterprises. The hypocrisy and the liars, the stealers and the murderers... but worst of all, the rich and powerful.

The ones who tried to control all of the decks, and ended up shoving the poor, weak and hungry under a bus.

Well he had shown them. All of them.

No one was calling him poor anymore and no one threw him aside. He was considered the most powerful person in the world. What other man could have taken out all of Zaphis in a single night? Who could have taken over the entire world in no time at all?

No one would have been able to do what he'd done; he'd accomplished the unimaginable! He alone had taken over the world, making everyone bow down before him!

That wasn't what he wanted though. The attention was nice regardless. He gained a sort of sadistic satisfaction when he'd watched the people who'd previously thrown him under toe now begging for their lives like sniffling cowards.

It just wasn't what he was trying to prove.

Sure, he was much like the rich snobs he carried so much hate for, but soon that wouldn't matter, soon everything would change, and finally, things would be different.

No rich, no poor, no sick, no widowed, no children left on the streets without parents, alone to fend for themselves in the lower quarter! None!

The world over would change, and he'd be the one to change it.

Truthfully, he was the only one smart enough to do it. He was no longer dragged down by precious memories or stopped by loved ones; Flynn had taken all of that away and tossed it down the river.

He was finally going to be able to create a world that was perfect for everyone in it. No more suffering from unjust citizens trying to play God. No more dying alone in the cold streets as rich folks passed by without a single uttered word in remembrance. Soon Yuri would be able to cleanse the world from its unholy state, and bring about an age of reform.

He'd never been able to accomplish that with Flynn in the picture. With the corrupt government in place, the dark haired man had never been able to bring justice to the unjust and happiness to those lacking it. Flynn had always played by the rules.

Even when the rules needed to be broken, the blonde had always allowed evil to triumph.

Whenever that had happened, it had made Yuri sick. So many people died waiting for a change that could have easily come if a few people brought their heads together.

It was always too much trouble to handle the poor, the sick or the hungry. It was to much of a hassle to make sure everyone lived in a decent home.

Yuri had grown up among kids whose families had broken from the plagues that ravaged the lower quarters streets. Kids had been raped repeatedly by their own parents, children had to work long days and nights to help pay for their families comfort, and still others had to eat dead animals off the streets because money was a scarce privilege.

What did the Empire do about it? Nothing. They simply strengthened their own crowds, distancing themselves from the problems Yuri had practically bathed in as a child… and now, things were different.

Society still reeked of differences; nothing was going to change that.

Nothing except Yuri's plan…

It no longer mattered though, nothing did.

He would complete his work so justice could finally be handed down to the people who had always needed it most. With that thought, he busied himself with opening the door to the hallway.

The hall was dark, without even the faintest glimmer of light, but Yuri knew it by heart. He'd walked it so many times before, late at night, when he wanted to be alone.

It was hard to know if you passed someone in the large walkway, and as long as Yuri remained quiet, he could slip by anyone who'd normally notice him and his defiant step pattern.

Even he'd noticed it.

He took toes to heel, unlike most people, and right when his toe of his boot touched the ground, a loud and proud click would echo in the hall. It made quiet an entrance when he needed it to, but that wasn't the thing he needed now.

Like most nights, he wanted to be alone.

He made his foot falls quiet, hoping that no one would pass by him in the hall quietly, and made it to his room in time to notice it was destroyed.

The normal reaction would be that the underground had done something, and once Yuri was found, guards would be constantly surrounding him and Cumore would cling more than usual.

That was something the dark haired man could not afford.

He slipped out an impossible to see door, and instantly, a rush of rainy wind flushed against his flesh.

His translucent skin chilled instantly, causing an instant shiver to run down Yuri Lowell's spine; but for some reason, that didn't matter.

The air was fresh and clean, almost pure. As it entered his lungs, his insides froze like ice and it withered his core all the way to his heart, striking the hard as steel barrier around the beating muscle like a gong.

The dark haired man had to double over as the cool air cycled through his body. It was calming, though painful, and it cleared his mind more than any amount of wishing or anger could. The air ran across his body, causing goose bumps to rise on his skin.

He shivered violently and squeezed his eyes shut. He pulled his arms close to his body, wrapping them around his torso, and burying his head inside the collar of his shirt. His dark hair danced in the icy breeze as the rain sprinkled it like tears, making the dance ever more complicated. It whipped across the poor man's face and wrapped its icy fingers around Yuri's neck.

It continued its dance as the wind cheered it on, causing him to bury himself deeper into his clothing.

Cold... he was so cold. The air was ridged and the icy tips of wind cut across his skin like a knife. The water fell from the sky like bombs from a plane, crashing into the pale skinned man and making wet splashes against the ground. Mud coated his boots in beautiful abstract paintings and the ground beyond was slick, and the meadow that stretched like a sea of green further seemed to huddle together against the blasts of wind that rocked the sky and clouds.

Cold... freezing and unbearable cold.

"Scarlet?" Instant warmth wrapped around Yuri's stomach as arms bear-hugged his waist. Up the dark haired man's back and across his neck and shoulder Cumore's head popped out. Heat radiated from the man's body, which chilled Yuri's blood more. "What are you doing out here?"

Yuri didn't want to explain, and he honestly didn't have to, "nothing," He stated.

A soft nip at the dark haired man's neck sent a wave of anger into Yuri's blood.

"Don't do that!" He shouted, wrestling out of the grip the ex-captain. Yuri span, the water from his hair circled out in an expert wave as the dark haired man turned to glare at Cumore.

At first, a face of confusion and hurt was apparent over Cumore's features, but they slowly turned to anger. "I've done everything for you, yet you still treat me like this!"

Yuri felt the emotional stab in the heart, but didn't let it show.

"Everything!" Cumore shouted again, "when your pitiful friend let you die, I was the one who came in and saved your life! I was the one who brought you back to health and aided in your take over of the capital!"

The dark haired man narrowed his eyes... details. Cumore hadn't helped in the take over, but the rest was true. But, contrary to the ex-captain's beliefs, Yuri felt no need to repay the man for the 'kindness' that was granted. It was nice that Cumore had provided life when life was lost, but it was another story for the poor man to do the man's perverted deeds. He'd done what the man had asked for six years, playing along, acting out his part as the love interest to the letter, but he wasn't an actor. It wasn't going to go on much longer anyways.

"You whine to much." Yuri said his voice chilled like the rain. He glared at Cumore through his wet and wild bangs, watching the older man quiver. "I don't like whiners."

Cumore took a shallow breath, "I've done everything for you, yet still you defy me? How long can you deny me? I'm the only person to ever care about you..."

Another stab...

"And you throw me in the rain just like that. Some affection, some gratification is all I ask for in return. Flynn took everything away from you, but I lent you my hand, and now you slap it away like some animal..."

Another stab...

"You wouldn't be anywhere without me... but all you seem to be able to do is act like the common filth you are!"

Another stab...

"If you even cared for me, what I've done for you, or the cause, you wouldn't be complaining. I've bent backwards for you, but you have no compassion, do you? You have no care for anything else! That's probably why Estellise was taken from you in the first place!"

A real stab... with thick, blood red results. Yuri's sword was inserted into Cumore's stomach within a couple of seconds, and the only noise that was heard was a grunt of surprise from the ex-captain.

The dark haired man's hands became slick with the red life liquid and it dripped down into the greedy earth, the water instantly washing it away.

"Don't you ever..." Yuri said, anger rushing through his systems. He couldn't feel the cold anymore; he couldn't feel the icy embrace the water offered him because his core was heated up.

Blood was replaced with a grasping iron claw, and it wanted blood. "Don't you EVER!" He screamed, his voice going hoarse just as he reached the peak of his yell, "say that AGAIN!"

The turn of the blade was quick, but daringly slow.

Anger pulsed through Yuri's ears like adrenaline. He glared into Cumore's eyes, watching the fear that was washed over the ex-captain's blue orbs.

The rain made everything seem blurry, paler, and the ghastly expression that framed Cumore face seemed to jump right out of a horror movie. His eyes were wide and mouth in a perfectly round black hole. No noise came from the hole, but it was almost like a silent scream was coming out... one only the angels could hear.

For some reason, Yuri felt no sympathy for the man.

Whether Cumore lived or died depended on the next few moments, but the dark haired man didn't honestly care. Cumore was a pawn all along. The only reason he'd been allowed to stay around was by the simple need of his troops.

Alone, Cumore's troops would never have followed his orders, but after years of being under both of the men's command, the guards probably wouldn't even blink at the change in leader.

More blood glided down the long shaft of the sword, trickling off and making desperate words in the muddy ground.

It was almost like time had frozen, locking itself into one moment of freedom and release.

Seconds pasted by in what seemed like hours, but the moment stayed. Minute after minute, the hands of time weaseled by, but the situation didn't change. The wind blew in the same direction; the rain fell in the same amount, the same stench of fresh and raw blood and a hint of insides floated in the air ceaselessly, the rain doing little to dampen the effects of the bitter smell.

It didn't take long, not long at all, but it felt like hours had swept by, and Yuri enjoyed every second of it.

With a shudder, Cumore hacked up blood, the red liquid coating Yuri's hair and face, and then, the ex-captain began to slump against the sword, and an audible squishing sound came from Cumore's stomach.

The hole inside his mid drift grew as he fell to the ground, the sword pulling it's way up until it got caught on the rib cage. Cumore gave a sudden jerk as the sword entered the bone, but remained silent.

Once...

Twice...

Three times Yuri blinked.

He'd never taken his eyes off of Cumore's falling body, and now he took a real good look at the man who slouched before him.

No other outward damage was done except the gash wound, no blood marred the pristine upper half of the ex-captains body, but Cumore was, without a doubt, dead.

With a downward turn of his head, Yuri saw the bloodied lower half of Cumore's body, and the half curled, half limb position he sat in. From his vantage point, the poor man could see Cumore's eyes half open and dazed, staring off at some unseen thing in the distance.

Yuri closed his eyes and withdrew the sword. A sickening 'slunk' sounded as the body fell to the muddy ground, but the dark haired man didn't dare to look.

He took in several deep breaths of the bitter air, allowing his lungs to be filled with the sickeningly sweet scent and the cold defiant air...

Nothing had ever felt so good as the moment he was in now. Nothing seemed as right, as fair. So much suffering had he endured, and now, a major part of it was gone. Dead and slack against the ground, where it needed to be. A heavy weight had been lifted from Yuri Lowell's shoulders, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember how it had all had happened, or why Cumore was now dead on the ground.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N-Happy Halloween everyone! And for those of you who don't know what Halloween is or don't celebrate it... Happy October 31!

I decided that this would make an excellent holiday treat(even if you don't celebrate it).

Dear Yuri,  
You think a lot.  
Sincerely,  
Orangepotato

Is it just me or does Yuri like to monologue himself a lot? I suppose he doesn't really have anyone to talk to so he has to keep himself company... Anywho, we'll be getting back to Flynn next chapter, though looking over it, I'll have to do some rewriting. I promise I'll try to get it out soon though, because I'm excited to see what you guys think. Certianly some dark moments ahead. Isn't the saying, it's always darkest before the dawn?

Thanks again to all the readers and reviewers! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	9. Chapter 8

A/N:Rated Older Teen, just to be safe.

Chapter Eight  
"Trembling, crawling across my skin..."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-0-

The moist green-brown grass made a sickening 'shulnk' noise as the team of underground members carefully made their way across the field. It was the only noise that could be heard next to the pit-pat rain.

Flynn kept his head low, his eyes focused just above the horizon.

In the distance, the tall posts and wired fences of the capital could be seen. A dark cloud hung over the area, raining down it's misery.

Black inked the sky and the fat drops of water made the mixture of grass and mud cling to the feet of the captain as he silently passed through the field.

It was a depressing sight to behold. The meadow seemed to be leeched of life and the murky mud-water that sat above the surface discolored the already gray sky. Everything in the world seemed to be losing its color. The rain ate greedily the green of the grass and the blue of the sky, because it wasn't important enough in the new world Scarlet controlled.

Scarlet...

Flynn squeezed his eyes shut as he ran. Tears threatened his eyes even before the blonde's mind started going into detail about the events.

Yuri... no, Scarlet.

He had to refer to Yuri as Scarlet. No matter what happened from then on, Scarlet was the enemy, and Flynn couldn't get caught up in the emotions that were attached to Scarlet's correct name. Even if the name used to mean the entire world to the captain.

Flynn could remember all the times with Yuri as children, best friends until the end. He could recall every important event that had ever happened in both their lives, but now it all seemed so far away. Time seemed to have stretched itself into an unrecognizable monster with the intention of confusing the people who needed sanity in their lives the most... people like Flynn.

A fresh wave of helplessness washed over the blonde as the pit-pat rain soaked his hair. The emotion chilled him more than the water did, even though he could remember the first time he'd entered the camp. How he'd longed for a break in the rain, somewhere where he could relax from the chill it brought him, and now he'd do anything to get that chill back over what now racked his body.

Confusion, horror, doubts? No information made sense anymore, but who was he to question it? Where did he ever have the right? He was a walking paradox himself.

'Shulnk' 'shulnk' 'shulnk' as Flynn took the final steps through the grass. The long blades wrapped ever so gracefully around the captain's ankles, trying to grab him and pull him into the muck below. Part of him wished he could disappear into the mud that ate at his shoes. It would make things so much easier, but a small part of his brain destroyed the thought.

It wasn't time to be thinking about how to escape the pain he was in. Regardless of what he wished, the reality was in his face. No longer could he sit back and cry. Now was the time to fight, and hopefully, end the things that were spiraling out of control.

The captain stared at what was before him. The tall wired fence surrounded the area just as before, but the gates that had been open previously were now closed tight. Inside, the oddly shaped and ancient looking house sat in their normal crammed roads, all of which seemed to center around the muddy streets that flowed through the city. The buildings looked worse than before though, with more wood across the roofs and more holes that were barley covered with blankets and scraps of metal from around the camp that littered the walls. It seemed as if the camp itself had aged years in the days Flynn had been away.

Senses of dread filled Flynn's body, as well as a sense of unplaced anger. He felt it well up inside of him, filling his limbs with elated energy as his thoughts flooded with images of the very first time he'd seen Scarlet. The emotions of that time seemed to had disappeared, and all that remained was an undying sense of anger.

Rage.

Betrayal.

Scarlet had done all the evils of the world, and he needed to be punished more than anything else. Punished for the whole world to see, because evil like that needed to be fixed. It was why he'd joined the knights. 'Evil has to be disbanded throughout the land', that was the Knight's motto.

Even now, the hum of the words he'd said in his knighting ceremony hung on his lips as he silently mouthed the words he'd vowed to live by and vowed to die by.

Words Scarlet use to follow, but now hid from in the shadows of pain.

Lightning flashed across the clouds and roared to the earth, striking far into the distance. The spectacle danced several times before it fell back into the black wash that was painted above the earth.

Swiftly, with several whistles that sounded in the distance, others rustled past him, fear etched into their faces, eyes only focused on today. Today was the day. Tomorrow was a complete afterthought.

Flynn dashed along side them, the hilt of his sword in his hand as he charged through the mud and grass and towards the gates that once loomed in a strange welcome. In minutes, fire collided with the metal; searing it hot and melting it like water. More balls of red hit parts of the fence and mud, causing alarm to echo throughout the camp as well as a horrible hiss that came from the mud that squelched underneath the feet of the charging crusade. One by one the underground rebels entered the camp, weapons raised, ready for combat, ready to fight, ready to die.

It almost seemed like they were charging through an empty camp, the reaction somewhat delayed, as their feet slammed through the mud and the guards stood dazed.

The recognition and retaliation, though, was quick.

Guards from all over the place scattered in one motion, dragging their swords along with them. Moments passed before the sages of the guards began their casting.

Fire and ice rained down from the sky in torrents, causing the ground to rumble and rebels to fall to their knees. Screams erupted from the camp as people fled and people cringed in an agonizing death.

Soon after Flynn charged into the camp, he was met with opposition.

One knight charged towards the blonde, attempting to land a solid blow to his head.

For Flynn, this wasn't the moment to forget his training. He inhaled deeply in the split second before the blade would hit and focused his attention on defense.

The blonde's sword was up a fraction of a second next, the clanging of the metal as he blocked filled his ears.

The guard gave off a grunt of surprise. Flynn followed the defense with a counter attack, kicking his leg up to the man's stomach, and, while the man was doubled over, sliced the man's arm off. The arm and the blade fell with a thud as the man collapsed to the ground in pain.

"I spared you. Don't make me regret it," Flynn commented dryly then dashed off to continue fighting.

Enough blood had been shed, enough lives sacrificed... From now on, Flynn wouldn't kill unless necessary. It could also be the one thing that could kill him, sparing someone who wouldn't honor that, but if that was how it was suppose to be, so be it.

Flynn charged at the next person, and the next, swinging his sword as he cleared a path. All around him, pillars of fire, ice and earth shot from the ground, killing dozens in their wake. His eye caught the building Rita had told him he was headed to. A tall, Gothic like building that rested on a wall of the camp. The entire building, Rita had said, was reinforced.

She'd spoken it with a sad look in her eye, and the captain had guessed that there had been an unsuccessful mission to try to penetrate the area.

He shook the thought from his head and swung his sword. Blood splattered out from the wound he created in the knight before him.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The building was worn by the rain, but not without purpose. It's tall walls made all others around it seemed dwarfed. It was like the building had been built for a bigger city and accidentally placed among the small, crowded shacks of the camp.

No guards stood around the building, suggesting it had been abandoned, but Flynn decided to check to be safe.

By now his body was shaking. He'd received some wounds that weren't life threatening, but defiantly would leave scars. With the rain constantly pouring down, and hours of fighting in it, Flynn couldn't feel any of his limbs with exception to his fighting arm, but even it was going numb now.

Flynn stepped quickly; keeping his footfalls light in case anyone could hear him over the pit-pat rain. He took several glances around, his eyes darting different directions with each step. There was a lot riding on him getting inside without being noticed. Many people had objected to Flynn's solo mission, but ultimately it was Judith who'd calmed the masses down and explained that practically the entire take over stood on Flynn killing Scarlet without being detected.

Worst case scenarios had been created in case of the blonde's death, but those were last ditch efforts at best. Flynn's failure would mean the retreat of the rebellion forces... if they were fast enough.

If the entire rebellion force could be taken over and enslaved, there would be no one to head the opposition.

Flynn shuddered at the thought.

The world would be doomed to whatever the twisted mind of the blonde's former best friend could think of.

Fear rushed Flynn's veins, and he swallowed hard to keep it hidden. He didn't need another wave of helplessness, not when everyone's lives were hanging in the balance. Raven wasn't close by to save the blonde, so he had to stay strong or risk failure.

His feet carried him silently through the front door and down a long dark hallway.

The entire building was bathed in black, the darkness only weakening when flashes from the angry storm above fell from the sky. When that happened, a strong quick splash of yellow engulfed everything on sight, leaving the shadows on the floor deformed. The first time it happened, Flynn jumped at the sudden change in color and the resulting crash from above... the second time, he was more prepared.

Nothing sat in the hall as far as the eye could see. Deep in the distance, a reflective surface sat, and that was the end of the hallway.

From Rita's layouts, this had been the only entrance into the building. It simply wasn't possible that the entire fortress consisted of one hallway.

The entire building was oddly quiet. The pit-pat rain the only noise as it hummed it's cold melody. No guards, no important figures?

Flynn's mind instantly went to Scarlet, followed closely by Cumore.

Where was Cumore?

For sure he would have been the first one to leave running from the encampment. Now he wasn't even inside the building he called home... could there be a hidden passage that led outside the camp? Or a hidden room underneath the ground? Many possibilities swam through Flynn's mind as he wobbled on his feet.

Cold... he was so cold.

His head hurt and the rest of his body was numb. He could feel his brain lagging, his steps slowing. He blinked longer than he should; finally understanding the stress his body was under. He didn't feel like he'd had a decent sleep in days, he hadn't eaten anything for days...

"What are you doing here!"

It wasn't a question it was a demand.

A demand for an answer from a voice Flynn could recognize right off the bat. The blonde's brain desperately wanted to match the voice to a name, to a face, to thousands of memories that he'd shared with the voice over years of friendship, but Flynn clenched his fists together. A sharp stab of pain hit his palms as his fingernails dug deep into his skin. His brain went no further. Instead, it began to focus on the stench that now filled the room.

A distinct odor filled the long hallway, it's rank smell filled the captain's lungs. He found it much harder to breath and his eyes began to water. He'd smelt the same odor since his teenage years, when he was first becoming a knight. It was the same stench over and over again. Something he'd smelt during training multiple times.

Blood.

Lots of it.

Almost like gallons upon gallons of the life liquid had suddenly cloaked the room. Red haze seemed to filter in through the door that Scarlet had propped open with his hand.

The pit-pat rain could be heard bombarding the ground, thunder roaring overhead. The noise seemed to penetrate the hall, causing his ears to ring like a shrill bell. A quick flash of yellow painted the room, causing the captain's eyes to see what they previously had not been able to see. Not only was the smell everywhere, _it_ was everywhere. Blood coated the door in abstract ways, and Scarlet…

Scarlet was shaded in red.

The stark red against the ruler's pale white skin showed eerily in the yellow. His dark hair seemed soaked in the liquid and his clothes carried splatters of the red from top to bottom. Scarlet looked like a monster out of someone's nightmare.

A sword relaxed at the dark haired man's waist, but it too seemed to emanate the odor of blood.

The blonde gasped, unable to hold in his shock.

What had happened?

"What are you doing here!" Scarlet screamed, his voice hollow of all emotions except rage. "What is going on!" With a swift, seemingly practiced moment, the ruler swung his sword at the blonde in an intimidating motion, and Flynn watched as a stream of blood slid across the blade and splatter on the floor.

What the hell had happened?

A rush of pain engulfed Flynn as in a matter of seconds; Scarlet's sword was shoved into the blonde's stomach.

It took several seconds for him to notice the source of the pain, his brain staggering to its conclusion when his voice screamed even though his brain didn't know why.

Scared... he was scared, and now he couldn't feel anything throughout his body. A wave of fear shook the blonde like a doll, his legs almost collapsing out from under him.

A muted shout vibrated through Flynn's ears, and a sickening 'shlunk' sounded, and suddenly, the only thing barley keeping the blonde up was gone, and he fell to the floor. He couldn't process what had happened or why he was no on the floor watching shadows dance back and forth in front of him.

With a sputter, he hacked up blood, adding to the stench of the air. His muscles were no longer his own, and no matter how he tried to control his movements, all his muscles did were jerk around and shake. Pain swam in the inner sanction of his mind, and his body shook uncontrollably. All of the sudden, it didn't matter of he died; the blonde just wanted the pain to go away.

He wished the fear would subside. It was a raging tide, battering against him constantly, breaking him down till he was nothing but a rag doll upon the shore. Why couldn't it become a gentle wave? Why couldn't it leave? If it left, everything would follow. Everything would end in a second, and the world would become right again. He was never supposed to be in the time he was anyways. Scarlet had killed him six years ago. Flynn being there now was a fluke of nature. Scarlet was supposed to win the battle, he was supposed to win the war. Whatever the sick twisted man Flynn had once counted as his friend wanted to do; it was suppose to be accomplished.

It was after the flood of thoughts ran their course that another just as sick question popped into his mind. What if he returned to his normal time after he died?

What if he didn't have to stay in the damned world Scarlet had created? Perhaps he could break all of the dark haired man's rules by dying before anything else could be done.

If it really was Scarlet's dream to finally rid the world of Flynn Scifo, the blonde could outsmart the entire system by dieing before anything could happen.

A cough... more blood... sever shaking that couldn't be stopped. Freezing cold chills and the ever constant numb feeling that shattered his body…

Why did everything have to go wrong? Why was he stuck in the middle of this mess, fearful and now completely unsure of what was going to happen. Hell, he didn't even know what was going on now. His eyes were open, but unseeing, his ears could hear, but his brain would not process anything anymore. He heard noises that sounded familiar, but he couldn't place.

The only place left was his unshaken memories. Vivid colors and unmistakable expressions... he could relive every one of the event's that gave him joy. His first time meeting Estellise, his first promotion, his first friendship-

No!

He stopped himself. The colorful memories became swamped with dark smears and unearthly colors. Rain began to pour down, drowning away any happy memories.

Then, suddenly in his mind's eye, he could see Scarlet...

God, Scarlet...

God, oh God...

God, oh God, oh God!

"Wake up."

Crack!

Pain swarmed the blonde's side, his muscles contracting and reacting, pulling him tightly into a ball. No more pain, he wanted it gone, gone far far away...

"Wake up!"

Another furious kick to Flynn's back roused the captain. His skin felt clammy, his arms and legs refused to move, and it was all he could do to open his eyes.

Bright lights blinded him for a moment, causing him to squeeze his eyes closed again. Several attempts at opening his eyes failed, but eventually, he was able to squint to see past the blinding white where bright colors swam around in circles.

"It's about time you woke up."

Flynn dragged his brain along, forcing himself to open his eyes a bit more and to focus on the person who was speaking.

Scarlet sat on a bed, the sheets slightly pressed under his weight. The blonde found himself absently wondering if Scarlet had recently lost a bunch of weight. He seemed thinner and more frail, his skin a permanent wash of white. The red was gone, making the blonde judge how long he'd been out of conscience. In the red's place, dark hues that Flynn assumed where bruises assumed the ruler's skin.

Flynn had never taken the opportunity to notice just how fragile Scarlet had become. His dark eyes seemed pressed into his head in a permanent shadow, and the long dark hair the man had once worn in pride was now chopped off at the shoulders.

"I didn't know if you were ever going to get up," Sarcasm leaked from the ruler's voice like water from a faucet. His face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes were lit up like fire. Dark anger bubbled underneath his stone gray eyes, almost like they were just waiting for a moment to release all of the fury. He looked like the perfect example of a predator waiting to devour it's pray.

Flynn swallowed loudly.

"I did wonder what you were up to, lying on the floor after that bitch came to your resuce, but I guess I know now," Scarlet laughed without humor. "Regardless, I know why you came to seek me out..." He motioned towards his left, and the captain struggled to follow Scarlet's movements, but managed to glace over to what the ruler was pointing at; and instantly wished he hadn't.

A long, sharp, thin spear stuck up from the ground. It's shaft seemed burdened with the weight it held on it, almost strained enough that Flynn could imagine the spear grunting under the weight.

Karol's body slouched upon the shaft; the rod bisected his stomach and his weight rested on the spear, his whole body leaning over on his knees. He was knelling, almost like he was praying.

A wave of nausea surfaced, and Flynn found the ability to move in his limbs.

He climbed away from the sight, his eyes unable to leave Karol's blood splattered and pale, lifeless form.

He wanted to pass out, throw up, something, but everything in his body was frozen. His body refused to function properly, so the captain found himself staggering back awkwardly. He held his hand up to his mouth in muted horror, ashamed that he couldn't get a scream or a sigh out of his throat.

An unmistakable ringing shook in his ears, like the static of a TV, and caused his vision to blur and fade.

This wasn't right, this wasn't supposed to happen!

Karol wasn't suppose to die, Flynn was. He was supposed to kill Scarlet and get back to his real time, not have others die in his place.

He tried to cry. Squeezing his eyes closed and slinging his head down, but his eyes remained dry, unable to produce tears. Had he grown immune to terror?

What kind of person was he, when he couldn't even cry at his own friend's death? Instead, he stood, shocked, but not in horror, he was shocked in awe.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he do anything but stare at Karol's ungodly state?

Flynn could almost smell the iron in the air. It was thick and smoothed its way over the room like butter. He gagged, tasting bile in his throat, but his body still refused to throw up; it still refused to acknowledge Karol's death in a proper way.

It couldn't get worse; it couldn't possibly get worse...

"I was amazed you know? That K-18 stood up for you. You were long gone by then, but once captured, he remained true to the end. If I had known you two were such close friends, " Scarlet said, cocking his head to one side, " I would have killed him earlier."

The blonde let the words sink it, allowing them to chill his bones.

It was his fault then. Karol dying was because Flynn, himself hadn't died. So all of this could have been avoid then? He wanted to laugh... laugh a laugh devoid of humor or sanity; he wanted to run around, grab Scarlet by the shoulders and ask him for a dance, ask him for a drink.

Hell, why not go out as friends and hang out like before!

The situation suddenly turned comedic. Everything suddenly seemed like a joke. Flynn found his unstable mind expecting Karol to hop up and start dancing, throwing the fake blood off like clothing. He expected Scarlet to laugh. Flynn expected himself to laugh… together; they'd laugh until they were blue in the face. Hysterical laughter for a fitting moment. Maybe that was how it was suppose to happen? They'd all laugh at the horror that was suddenly so funny.

"I suppose, though, " Scarlet said, breaking Flynn's thoughts, "he makes a good prequel to my show this evening..."

A violent shake ran down Flynn's spine. He felt his entire nerves fray at the ends and a cold stone drop in his stomach.

Not sink, drop.

Something terrible had happened, something horrible. God no, the captain didn't want to know, he didn't care to know. He wasn't interested in any more bad news, he just wanted to go up to Scarlet and beg to be killed.

End it all now... please? The blonde begged in his mind. Just end it all now. No more surprises, no more secrets, just end it.

Scarlet stood up, the weight off the sheets barley moving. He dusted himself off casually and leaned back over the bed. He didn't stay over long, his fingers grabbing something that sat at the edge of the bed, and drawing himself back up.

The pit in Flynn's stomach grew; filling his body like a black hole; something bad was going to happen, something very very bad.

Scarlet presented what he had in his gripped in his hand proudly, caused a violent reaction within Flynn's body.

The blonde doubled over, bile flowing from his stomach, up his throat and out his mouth. He coughed and sputtered, gasping for breath as he tried to grasp what was going on.

Desperately he fought back the tears, but knew it he wasn't going to be able to keep himself composed very much longer.

His legs suddenly dropped out from underneath him and a solid chill ran up his body. He felt like time froze again, allowing Scarlet to enjoy every moment of the captain's suffering.

He doubled over again as the top of his vision caught a glimpse of Scarlet's hand again, but nothing came up this time, instead he wheezed and coughed, hacking up his lungs as he fought against the urge to throw up again.

Hot tears ran down his face, and a fresh new wave of helplessness coursed through his veins.

This was it then, no hope of anything, no hope that something was going to go right, and all of the problems would be fixed.

Flynn didn't want to laugh now, he wanted to cry.

He wanted to lock himself in a box and cry to his hearts content, never stopping as he slowly drowned in his tears.

He gave up.

No, he'd given up a long time ago. He was only accepting it now. Hope had died a long time ago. He'd been foolish to follow hope along like a puppy. He'd wanted so desperately for something to be good that he'd allowed the elated feeling to fill his soul.

"Look up Flynn," Scarlet mocked, his voice filled with malice, "take another look see..."

Another wave of helplessness shook Flynn's bones, but he looked up. It took every ounce of being to force his eyes upon what Scarlet was holding.

The blue green eyes stared blankly out at him; the mouth hung open, slack, almost like the mouth was stuck on a word. The skin around the base of the neck was coated in the red life liquid as it casually dripped to the floor in a teasing pit-pat.

A wave of bile filled the captain's mouth, but he swallowed it down and stared into the beheaded cranium of Estellise.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (Even if you don't celebrate it.)

I told myself I wasn't going to do this... When I last updated on Halloween, I told myself that I wasn't going to let the next update be on the next holiday... but you can see how well that worked. School's been getting in the way of a lot of things lately. Luckily for me, my last day is the eight of December, so then I'll have plenty of time to update again! I'm going to try very hard to get updates out in better intervals!

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thanks to all of you who read the story, and especially to those of you who review!


	10. Chapter 9

A/N-I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but the chapter titles have been wrong. This was the original chapter eight, but awhile ago I added a chapter and it is now chapter nine. If memory serves, I haven't been changing the chapter titles, so sorry for any confusion it's caused.

Chapter Nine  
"I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies."  
-Breaking Benjamin, Dance with the Devil

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Priceless wasn't exactly the word he'd use to describe it.

Yuri could feel the pang of excitement enter into his system as he watched the expressions on Flynn face change. Shock, disbelief, horror, anger, hate, sorrow... so many emotions flashed by in what seemed to be a matter of seconds, the dark haired man lost count of the expressions he'd seen and started observing emotions he didn't even have a name to.

Flynn's face contorted and shaped different ways, tears stung the blue eyes Yuri knew so well, but it was almost like the blonde refused to cry.

Right as the ruler had shown Flynn the head, he'd watch his former friend cough up bile, cry and scream, but never a foul word had been uttered.

To knightly perhaps?

Laughing to himself, the dark haired man spoke, "She was crying your name you know? Your. Name..." He trailed off, lost in thought.

Yes, she'd cried for Flynn to save her. She had wanted to blonde to show up in a cliché fashion to save the day from all evil. She didn't once, though, utter Yuri's name. Estelle had never asked him not to kill her, she didn't speak a word about what the two of them had had, she had just wanted Flynn.

A fresh wave of anger filled the dark haired man's veins. Flynn always ended with the better half of the deal. Everything always turned out in his favor, regardless of the situation. He almost had to laugh at himself, what was going to happen here that made Flynn triumph?

So badly did Yuri want to stare outside a window, look at the pit pat rain and listen to it. Listen and believe it was the heart beat of the people. A rapid yet soft flicker of life amongst the outside noises of thunder. He wanted to gaze out to the ground, looking at the trenches, row after row after row. For some reason, the ruler believed he could dump all of his problems into those ditches and that would end that.

A shiver ran up his spine at the mere thought… all of his problems would end up there, it was only a matter of time.

All his problems, gone! Flynn buried, his emotions, his receding memory and his chilled bones, everything could go into the ditch forever, buried under piles of mud and worms, never to see the light of day again.

Things, though, never worked as he planned. He was always at the end of the ride, holding on for dear life as he desperately tried to fight whatever had thrown itself at him this time. He was always cleaning up while Flynn shined.

Yuri had to admit, Flynn was terribly handsome. The blonde made every soldier in the kingdom jealous with his looks and intelligence, his keen intuition and quick judgment that had been proven over and over in combat and in politics. Flynn was a shining example for anyone and everyone to follow, and he was good at what he did.

He always showed kindness and modesty to everyone, even if they didn't deserve it, but it was his sharp sense of sarcasm that really got Yuri. Flynn could talk and smile, speak when it was appropriate to all the wrong people, but a threat so vile would be smoothed over his kind words, and it got to people. Yuri had seen bad guys turn themselves in after Flynn had had a good talking to them.

He was a threat, but a considerate, modern day Robin Hood kind of guy. With his 'justice' speeches and strong sense of right and wrong. Flynn never did anything for the good of himself, but for the good of his people.

It made the dark haired man sick.

Originally, Yuri had never had a problem hiding in the shadows. Who cared who saved the world as long as it was saved? He'd always backed away from the spotlight, allowing Flynn and his team to be the heroes, because the ruler simply didn't want the attention. He knew the world didn't need the type of hero who murdered people, regardless of if it was right or wrong.

He'd believed from the get go that Flynn was the perfect person to shoulder the glory of people's praises because he was someone worth admiring.

Now, it was different.

Flynn had abandoned him, disregarded him in the name of duty. What was right, what was needed outweighed their friendship. The blonde had taken sides with all of the corrupt people Yuri disgusted, and when the dark haired man needed his friend the most, Flynn turned his back.

Turned his back to his first and best friend in the name of "justice".

"Pathetic," Yuri spoke, his voice a vile whisper. He watched as Flynn shuttered at the words he spoke, "hiding away now, are you? Wish you could run back to your stupid little underground and rethink your plan? Well it's a bit late now Flynn!" His voice reached screaming level, "It's a little to late to save your precious friends from destruction! They're dead! All of them!" Anger flashed out of the ruler's mouth, and an invisible barrier seemed to be shattered as the dark haired man spoke his old friends name.

It'd been the first time he'd regarded the blonde in such a manner. The first time he'd admitted the person kneeling before him was in fact his friend from long ago.

Without knowledge, questions poured out of Yuri's mouth, his words hate filled, "How did you even survive? What made you think you should come in and destroy what I've worked on for so many years? What gave you the desire to rise from the grave to right your wrongs?"

Accusing words, and Yuri could see they bit deep.

The blonde cringed as if under a weight, and his eyes slid shut. He seemed to be battling opposing sides in his head, and the ruler was unsure which one was winning.

Yuri wanted to say more, to scream accusations at the top of his lungs. A small part of him even wanted answers for Flynn's denial six years ago. Why had the blonde done what he did? Why did it end the way it had? Didn't Flynn know what Yuri had gone through the six years after the incident! It made the ruler's insides turn, and he found himself boiling with anger. Didn't Flynn care! Apparently, the blonde didn't have a stray thought in his head.

The blonde remained motionless, his body rigid. He scarcely breathed, but Yuri could see the shaking the captain was doing. The blonde's entire body twitched, his hands scrapping against the cloth of the man's pants, and his chest heaving in and out as if breathing had become awkward.

The dark haired man began to wonder if that would be the death of Flynn. If the captain would simply die on the floor due to shock, but then the blonde moved. With blocky, violent movements, the captain stood, his legs stiff. Almost like a broken toy, the blonde's movements brought him to a standing position, his body shaking horribly.

Yuri couldn't help hold back any longer, more words poured out, "what are you going to do now Flynn? Save the world?" He gave a bitter laugh as the captain stood solid, "it's a bit late for that as well. You screwed over your chance at that six. Years. Ago." The ruler's words grew dark, "sit back down and die Flynn, it's about all you can do now."

With a quick flick of his wrist, Yuri sent the head of the pink haired princess flying. It landed with a thud and slid to a stop by Flynn's feet.

The blonde just stared.

With everything Yuri was expecting his old friend to do, staring wasn't exactly what he had in mind. That was all the blonde did though, stare. He didn't speak a word, scream at the dark haired man, he didn't run away, cry, throw up, beg forgiveness or ask to be killed, he simply stared a blank stare.

Honestly, the dark haired man was unsure the exact reaction he'd envisioned. Anger perhaps? But not silence, defiantly not silence to the statement Yuri had just made. Was he going to speak? Scream? Beg? Was Flynn even going to react?

The blonde's next words were so soft that the ruler almost didn't hear them against his own thoughts at the pit pat rain, "I just wanted to go back home."

A flash of lighting colored the room and Yuri founded himself dumb founded and angry. Had his old friend gone crazy? Home? This was home!

"This is Zaphias! This is home! This very place we stand in now," Yuri shouted, "is the lower quarter!" He spread his arms out to indicate the building.

It was Flynn's turn to look dumb founded. His blue eyes gazed up at the ruler, hopelessness framing his face, "I didn't mean the lower quarter."

Yuri felt like punching the captain in the face, "you mean the knights? The castle? You mean that petty little room you shared with Estelle-"

It was almost like a physical blow to the stomach. Suddenly all of the wind gushed out of Yuri's system, and he found his heart beating rapidly. Estelle... it even pained him to think the name, yet he'd just said it. Screamed it. He gave Flynn a horrified look, and the blonde gave an equally confused look back.

Flynn was tearing everything apart. Ripping it out by the seams and grinning while he did it.

Years of careful building, piecing together the perfect façade to hold in the face of Cumore and all of his knights, and with a simple confrontation, his old friend had shattered it. He was losing his cool, his touch, and he started saying things that made him angry, started yelling words that tore at his heart and started acting like his old self. No secrets, no lies, just the honest to God truth... and it was killing him.

"You-" he spat. He gripped his sword, the rest of his mask shattering in unexplored rage, "you're the one who did all this! You are the one who tore all of my work apart! My carefully put together plan, ruined because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself!" He advanced on the blonde, his anger bubbling over the top now.

Without even waiting for the blonde to prepare himself for combat, the ruler swung his sword down.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Flynn was barley able to dodge the attack and unsheathe his sword at the same time. He didn't even have time to think before another one of Scarlet's attacks swung at the captain's back.

He threw his sword up in a novice block, but was able to deflect the blow without taking serious damage.

The last swing of the ruler's sword came down on Flynn's now ready sword, and the captain expertly bounced the swordsman back a few paces.

He couldn't lose his focus now, not like before. He couldn't freeze up and forget what he was doing.

Flynn took the next opportunity to attack, swinging his sword in a broad half circle, forcing the ruler back even further. With graceful steps and practiced fluidity, the captain used a series of swings against Scarlet, who blocked the majority of them, though the last swing was the lucky blow. The blonde's sword broke through the ruler's defenses and nicked his shoulder.

It was nothing but a flesh wound, but it was huge compared to Flynn's last performance, where any wound on Scarlet's persons was purely accidental. He feigned left as the ruler attacked, and the blonde threw his sword into a swift upper slice that nicked Scarlet's cheek.

Again, another close encounter with Flynn's blade, but Scarlet seemed to anticipate the moves the captain was going to make, narrowly missing most blows.

Quickly, the captain pulled back and tossed his blade into a thrusting position. He charged the ruler, steel ringing against steel as the two swords connected in the heat of battle.

Steel sang out in unison as the two former friends dodged and attacked, each taking over the other's weaknesses and dodging the other's strengths.

Clanging became the prominent sound in the room, echoing off the walls in an eerie song as the two fought and blood spilled over the chamber floor.

The cut was deep and piercing as Flynn felt his wounds reopen to add to the collection of life liquid that pooled on the floor. Blood filled his mouth as he looked down to see Scarlet had cut a deep gasp across his stomach.

Thoughts raced through his mind, all of them foggy, but the colors vivid. It was like a painting he couldn't recognize. Flashes of colors came and went, but the distinct shade of red was what tinted the entire portrait.

So... it really hadn't been worth it.

Summoning the strength to fight, the courage to challenge Scarlet in the face of all the horrors, had turned out to be a complete waste of energy. Flynn could have waited while his former friend ranted, allowed the ruler to get angry and then a quick but assured death would have happened. No pain, no more suffering.

Ironic.

His life was filled with ironies.

Nothing worked out perfect for him, no matter how hard he tried. The karma he'd gathered throughout his life loved to laugh at him. Whatever he'd accomplished, he always had to take two steps back. Reaching the rank of captain gave him a new foothold in his climb for the top, but it set him in a place where he was suppose to follow commands to the letter, he was suppose to do what he was told or face punishment.

Irony had always had it out for him.

How ironic was it that the man Flynn had always thought deserved most of the credit for the things the blonde had accomplished in his career was now smirking at the other end of the sword?

The realization of the fact didn't want to make him laugh though. He didn't get any feeling of peace from the fact that, all along, he was heading towards a dead end, a pit fall, death. It wasn't relieving to know that he was going to die, to finally get out of the dreaded rain splattered world he was stuck in. The watery hell he was cursed with would finally leave his sight forever, but the simple statement didn't add any joy to the blonde's grief stricken heart.

He drew in a shaky breath, the last of his air hitching in his lungs. Suddenly, it felt like he couldn't get enough oxygen into his lungs, that his chest was on fire and his feet grew numb. He lost the feeling in his legs as he wobbled unsteadily.

"Flynn... wouldn't have been beaten so easily." The ruler mimicked his words from before, and they burned a hole in the blonde brain. He felt a wave of helplessness engulf his body, and his legs almost gave out right then. He took quick, shallow breaths as he tried to keep control of his body.

He didn't need to be helpless, he didn't need to lose his will to stand...

Another wave filtered through his veins and he felt his throat swell shut.

He couldn't breath, and his mind fogged. He wanted to say something, but words refused to leave his mouth. He wanted to cry, but all of his tears were gone.

He was stuck taking what the ruler dealt. He had to listen with open ears as Scarlet berated him and called his names. Called out mockeries and cursed the blonde's very presence, and he was suppose to take it? He was supposed to allow the man who was destroying his life deal the final blow?

He didn't want to. Every emotion known to man filed through his brain, but he couldn't move or speak. He couldn't say the things he wanted to, he couldn't do the actions he planned to, time had frozen the two former friends together in one solitary moment.

Flynn's world crashing down while Scarlet's dictatorship built itself into an empire.

Tears threatened his eyes, but the salty sting wouldn't come. His mind simple refused to allow him any relief. It was set on making Flynn's last moments horrible.

"What now Flynn Scifo?" Scarlet's words were sharp and reeked of malice. He almost spat the blonde's name in disgust.

What could the blonde say to that? Nothing really. His body gave up a long time ago, and now the reality was catching up with him. He wished it was like the stories of death people told. A wash of peace coming over someone, even in their worst hour; a calm like no other replacing an irrational fear of dieing… So he was to die listening to Scarlet and taking everything the man threw at him? It felt unfair to the blonde, but what was he going to do about it? He hurt all over, and most of his conscience wanted to end it all now.

Most of him wanted to collapse on the ground and allow Scarlet to finish it quickly. Honestly, it was a shock that he hadn't died earlier. He'd been wounded so many time and lost so much blood. Now though… now he was going to die…

"I never gave up on you."

Flynn wasn't entirely sure if he'd been the one who'd said the words. He couldn't even verify whose voice had said it. His ears failed to hear as more of the blonde's life liquid cascaded towards the ground. The pain in his body clouded every judgment he could ever make, but for some reason, he could tell that his mouth had moved to those words.

Flynn had mouthed them, but he was unsure if he'd spoken them.

The words were spoken in a solid whisper. Set up so that anyone listening would have to strain their ears to understand what was said, but the way it was said screamed volumes.

It was as if the words were standing in a large room, screaming at the top of its lungs as the world shook from it's sound.

Six simple words that provided all that was necessary for Scarlet to freeze.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I never gave up on you."

Yuri Lowell felt time screech to a halt. He heard it screech as he hitched his breath and his face drained of all color.

What was Flynn saying? What was the blonde saying?

Honestly, Yuri didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to except that his former friend had actually cared all these years and that the ruler had just taken a part in some plan the captain had been deciding all along.

That wasn't possible.

Flynn didn't care about him; he'd given up on the ruler long before Yuri had had the idea to enslave the world; to finally bring about a final cleanse!

The captain had fed his friend to the sharks for the sake of a promotion, so there was no way in hell Flynn cared!

Yuri fought off an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't name it, but the sting in his eyes told him to hold himself back. There was no time for him to concentrate on Flynn.

The dark haired man tried to regain his normal breathing pattern, keeping his screaming mind at bay, but found it difficult with the blue innocent eyes of his friend staring into his.

They weren't accusing, they weren't angry or glaring, they were staring, as if waiting for a reply of some kind.

What was the ruler suppose to say? He wanted to laugh, but it seemed to cliché. He wanted to scream, but his voice couldn't find his throat, so he went with his best answer.

Staring back.

He was sure his expression was that of shock, but he couldn't do anything else.

The blonde honestly seemed to believe that he'd said the right thing, that he was telling the truth even when Yuri knew it was a lie. It all was!

He'd been left to rot in jail while Flynn carried on a promotion! He'd been dragged out into the stadium of angry masses and killed right in front of them while Flynn watched passively!

It was entirely his fault!

It was entirely Flynn's fault!

"It was all your fault!" He screamed, his voice shattered the odd silence that had transcended the room, "You took the promotion over me, you allowed me to die! To die Flynn!" He swung his sword haphazardly, "it took a man I hate more than you-" he spat in Flynn's direction, "to save me! And I had to be grateful to that man, grateful!" He was screaming now, but he didn't even notice.

"For six years I had to gussy up to that man, playing his sick little games so that he wouldn't kill me again!"

Something stung his eyes, but the feeling was unfamiliar. A slick, wet trickle ran down his cheek, but the feeling was foreign. "I died Flynn! And that Bastard brought me back to life!"

As a final climax, Yuri ripped the left side of his shirt open, and the dark fabric flapped down exposing his skin. There, implanted into the dark haired man's chest, was a blastia.

Its color was bright blue, and it pulsed unnaturally. The cold stone had veins that reached out from all sides and dug deep into the ruler's skin. They seemed to twist and turn abnormally, sinking into his skin like maggots. The veins ran down his chest and up his shoulder in vine like twists that seemed to penetrate more than flesh. Down deep into the swordsman's core, the vines reached, and the rock pulsed back a bright light.

The strange trickles running down his face turned into rivers. Suddenly, Yuri's vision became blurry and he couldn't stop from shaking. "You left me to die Flynn..." he grabbed up his sword, using his free hand to wipe away the water that covered his eyes, "and now I'm going to kill you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A solid clang filled the air.

The tense atmosphere shattered instantly as Scarlet's sword clashed with Flynn's.

It was all the blonde could do to block the attack and send a counterattack in its wake. He managed to send the ruler back a bit, just enough to have room to think of a suitable strategy.

He desperately kept his mind away from what Scarlet had shown him. He tried not to think of the sickly blue the blastia flashed or the disgusting veins the rock had grown. The image, though, proved to be too much.

The dark haired man was still wearing his blastia out in the open; the dark flaps of his shirt flopping as Scarlet reeled back from the counterattack.

The blonde closed his eyes and focused. His brain did flip-flops as he tried to remember basic knight training. Blocking, attacking, counterattacking, dodging... but his mind pulled a blank on him for each lesson.

His brain refused to understand the memories it was sending itself. It denied all access to every vital part of Flynn's memory save for how to breath. The blonde found his breath rapid as he stuck his sword out in an offensive position.

It was about all he could do.

Scarlet charged forward, anger evident in his eyes, and Flynn dodged, allowing the ruler's back to be exposed.

The next thing happened in slow motion for the blonde.

He spotted his opening, and his hands and arms automatically moved to swing. His mind, however, began battling itself over the fact that he'd be gravely injuring his best friend, former or not. The mere idea of hurting his friend in such a manner caused his brain to freeze up. He could barley watch his friend in pain, let alone bleed.

He'd never allowed himself to hurt his friend before, simply because of how much he'd meant to the blonde. His former friend had been the world and Flynn had revolved around him, and it didn't seem right to strike him in the back with a sword. He'd never made his friend bleed, accidental or on purpose. The captain had always been careful, even when they were young children fighting in the streets of the lower quarter, he'd never allowed himself to bite his former friend to hard or punch him in the wrong place to allow blood to flow from any wound. It had never seemed right, it still didn't...

But some things had to be done.

With a strong swing, Flynn slashed his sword down onto the unsuspecting back of Scarlet. The sword connected with the dark fabric first, tearing it off his skin, and shortly after, the sword slashed into the ruler's back.

Shock filled the blonde as he watched, not blood fly out of the wound, but a substance with the same consistency of blood but carried a different color.

Icy blue liquid cascaded to the ground as Scarlet fell to the floor.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N-Thus ends this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed. :) I'd love to hear all of your thoughts of what just happened... quite a lot to ponder if I do say so myself.

Reviews would be appricated. :)

Until next time...


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"I won't stay long in this world so wrong…"

~Breaking Benjamin, Dance with the Devil

_Six years ago_

Jail wasn't a place Yuri Lowell liked to be.

He frequented the place often enough to call it a second home, but it didn't mean he enjoyed the visit.

Often enough, he'd end up staying in sporadic bouts, sometimes escaping when it was possible, and other times staying longer because he'd escaped previously. It all depended on who caught him and what he was charged with.

This time, it just happened to be Cumore who'd magically captured him, and he'd been charged with aggravated assault.

Yuri had tried to explain to the knights that he hadn't assaulted anyone. Even though there was a battered and bruised man lying unconscious on the same sidewalk the dark haired man had occupied, it didn't mean the man belonged to him. The man wasn't a pet, and Yuri certainly wasn't his owner.

Regardless of what he said though, Cumore's knights had arrested him and dragged him to the jail cells to await sentencing.

It was a boring turn of events when Cumore had appeared in person to deliver the sentence. A whooping twenty days behind bars because of previous crime convictions and no proof Yuri had committed the crime he was charged with.

The captain had sneered as if it was a large sentencing, and then proceeded out the door, determined to spend as little time as possible getting a nuisance off the street. All was well and good with that though, Yuri couldn't stand Cumore.

With a sigh, the dark haired man recounted the iron bars that crisscrossed the entrance of his cell. It was boring, and always ended up the same number, but at least it gave him something to do. If he began getting tired of counting the exact number, he'd start counting only the horizontal ones, or counting by twos instead of the normal way.

He'd done similar things before, usually keeping himself entertained only for a couple of hours before his intelligence began to waiver.

Yuri was a sharp man, and he wasn't about to spend twenty days counting the bars on his cell.

Another spell of counting the bars, and the swordsman could feel the monotony of the exercise getting to him. It was one thing to do the same thing for twenty days; it was a completely different thing to do the same thing for over twenty years.

He'd been in jail so many times Yuri figured he knew the exact amount of bars each cell had nailed to it. Ever since he'd been little, he'd always counted the bars of the cell first thing… probably because it was the only thing to do.

This time the dark haired man let out an angry sigh. Not even a day into the sentence, and he was bored.

That defiantly wasn't a good sign.

Yuri sat up from the bed he'd been reclined in, stretching his arms into the air. He craned his neck around, hearing a satisfying pop from his bones, then pulled himself out of the stiff bed.

The cardboard blanket flopped to the ground with what Yuri would describe as a 'clunk' and the brink pillow that had previously rested at the top of the bed shifted with the swordsman's weight, moving with a 'shunk' sound towards the center of the cot.

Not the most hospitable living conditions the dark haired man had seen, but he wasn't about to complain. Whenever he opened his mouth, it seemed his sentence was raised or he was thrown into some other crappier place.

Humorlessly, he wondered what a crappier place than the room he was in looked like.

He strolled towards the bars, looking out into the hall.

A lone knight strolled the area, keeping his keen eyes on the members of the jailhouse. As he marched by, he gave Yuri a glare that would kill a small animal.

"Top of the morning sir knight," Yuri said, keeping his voice light but condescending.

The knight ignored him.

"What, not in the mood to talk?" The dark haired man questioned. No response came, and Yuri really began to wonder if he was alone.

Not physically of course, the knight and the other whispers from the jail cells surround him proved that wrong, but mentally, Yuri had to wonder if he was going to spend his jail time in complete mental silence.

He wanted to say something intelligent, but refrained. If the knight wasn't going to talk, Yuri wasn't going to waste his breath.

With a huff, he sat himself down on the bed again, letting the silence lull him into a sleeping state. He wasn't fond of the bed, so he refused to lay down, but he leaned against the wall, allowing the cool brick to comfort him into a dreamless sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When he awoke, the entire cellblock was silent.

Normally silence wouldn't wake Yuri up, but for some odd reason, it had.

The swordsman wasn't the type of person to wake up once he was done sleeping. He had a schedule in his head, and even if he didn't fall asleep at the right time, he always woke up at the same time every morning.

With a questioning glance, he turned his head towards the door of his cell.

In the darkness, he could make out a figure squatting near the bars.

Yuri felt his heart leap and his senses sharpen, but he kept his breathing and reactions normal… if it turned out to be nothing, the dark haired man wasn't going to look like an idiot with an over reaction.

Weaseling his way from the wall, the swordsman got on all fours and crawled towards the figure that waited patiently by his door.

At his movement, the figure seemed to stiffen a bit before realizing what was going on.

Honestly, Yuri didn't know what or who to expect, but the voice that greeted him quietly wasn't an expected one,

"Yuri, hello."

"Flynn?" Yuri asked baffled. Surly it was someone else using Flynn's voice. The blonde was a captain after all, and the swordsman didn't know why he'd be spending his time visiting, "What are you doing here?"

"Seeing you, what else?" The blonde's reply came.

Yuri rolled his eyes, and then realized that Flynn wouldn't be able to see that response. Instead, he gave a sigh, signaling his annoyance, "I know that Flynn, I wanted to know why. If they catch you here chatting up the prisoners, you could get a demotion."

"Don't you think I know that?" Came the captain's slightly irritated response.

Yuri smirked, "figured I'd tell you just in case."

"Ha ha, very funny," Flynn commented, "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

The dark haired man didn't know how to respond exactly. How was one supposed to respond when they were behind bars? "A board game would be nice… or a deck of cards."

"What? You want the knights to provide entertainment to the prisoners?"

"Hey, you asked. I'm listing off my improvement list, you don't have to listen."

"I know that," Flynn said, and Yuri could hear the smile behind the blonde's words, "but I didn't ask for improvements, I asked for your health."

"Last I checked with the doctor, he said everything was okay."

"Yuri," Flynn commented, "The last time you saw a doctor was when you were nine and broke your arm."

"Nothing's changed since then."

"What about growing up?"

"That's a good question. Did I grow up?"

"You're insufferable."

"You're dull."

Yuri got a laugh from his friend with that.

"Dull? I guess I never looked at it that way before."

"What did you see it as?"

"Consistent."

"Consistent? Maybe consistently dull…"

Another laugh, and Yuri felt his heart lighten. He always loved hearing Flynn laugh. It had always been the swordsman's mission to make his friend happy, and hearing the light ringing laughter that was usually hidden because of politics made all of the dark haired man's earlier woos melt away.

A comfortable silence stretched between the two for a couple of beats. It was almost like Yuri wasn't locked up in a cell. It was as if they were both sitting on a bench and telling stories like they use too…

"So how are you really doing?" Flynn asked, all business again.

"As good as can be. Twenty days isn't anything big Flynn, don't go breaking a sweat over it."

Flynn didn't comment for a while, making Yuri curious. Twenty days really wasn't a big deal. The swordsman had served longer terms than that, making Flynn's visit unwarranted. Usually the blonde didn't even show his face in the jails, let allow come for an unexpected visit.

It was unnatural, but since Flynn was staying tight lipped, Yuri guessed he wasn't going to get any information if he probed.

Whatever had coaxed Flynn into the dirty prison, Yuri would find out in due time.

"How's everything going?" The dark haired man asked, changing the subject. The atmosphere of the room transformed instantly. A tension Yuri had never noticed building disappeared as quickly as it had come,

"Everything is going great. Estellise and I have been working hard on the legislation were going to introduce to the council in a couple of days. To tell the truth, I'm a bit nervous. We've put so much effort into it, but I feel like it may be to soon to push for his much reform."

"Don't worry about it Flynn. With Estelle backing it, I'm sure it'll go through…"

He could hear the silent nod the blonde gave,

"I hope so. If I can start changing things now, it'll be for the better."

"Indeed," Yuri spoke, "and while you do your thing, I'll do mine."

"Sit inside a jail cell?" The sarcasm was obvious inside the captain's tone, but Yuri knew Flynn was being serious too.

The swordsman decided to play it off as a joke,

"Yup. Maybe I'll become a martyr as well… I wouldn't mind dieing for a just cause."

He could tell the dissatisfaction in the blonde's voice before he even spoke, "Yuri, dieing for a causing isn't smart."

"Sometimes it's the only way someone will listen."

Yuri knew Flynn couldn't argue that. Sadly, it took people dieing for others to notice the errors in any system. Regardless though, the dark haired man didn't want to sit through a lecture he was sure his friend was about to give, so he changed the subject,

"How's everyone else?"

The blonde accepted the change of subject, "all fine and good. Estellise has been working with me as I said; Miss Judith and Miss Rita have been scurrying about doing this and that. Repede has been sleeping with me and wandering around during the day, Mr. Karol has been working on guild plans as far as I know. He said something about needed to get work soon for the guilds sake…"

Yuri smiled at the words 'Mr. Karol'. For some reason, it made the preteen sound so grown up, even though the boy wasn't. Sure, Karol had grown considerably given the time they'd traveled together, but he was far from being an adult.

"As for Captain Schwann…"

"Raven," Yuri commented.

A moment of silence passed, "Mr. Raven… he's been sleeping and wandering, like most of your friends."

It sounded like his friends were getting along fine without him. It didn't bother Yuri much because he'd hate for them to stop everything they were doing because of him… of course, it was his fault that they all had to stop and wait in Zaphias now.

Of course, that was beside the point,

"Other than the legislation, how are you?" Yuri asked.

"Fine, but I'm more concerned about you."

"I'm doing as good as someone who's in jail can do. It's not like I'm having the time of my life or anything." He smiled, hoping Flynn would know the common facial feature he'd throw in. It simply wasn't as effective if Flynn couldn't see his smile.

But another odd beat of silence passed. Yuri felt his spine tingle, and an immediate thought sprang into his mind… whatever Flynn was hiding, it was directly related to the swordsman.

And it had to do with the jail that much was certain.

The dark haired man wasn't sure if he should comment on the silence or not. Flynn, likely, wouldn't tell him anything, even if he asked, but not knowing seemed hard enough.

"What's going on?" He questioned, keeping his voice even.

He could tell Flynn was a bit shocked at the sudden inquiry, but the swordsman waited for an answer,

"Yuri…" Flynn started. More silence passed, and the dark haired man wondered if the captain was ever going to answer. It wasn't until he heard Flynn swallow that he knew the answer to the question wasn't going to be an easy one. Whatever had made Flynn crawl out of bed to visit Yuri in prison had to be something important… perhaps even dangerous.

"Yuri, you've-" A loud clunk echoed through the halls, the light from the other hall streaming through. A dark shadow rested in the middle of the light, a voice coming out of the figure,

"Captain Flynn… what are you doing here?"

The blonde's head turned quickly. In the light, Yuri could now see his friend's panicked expression. The brilliant blue eyes showed fear as the captain struggled to come up with an excuse,

"Flynn is visiting me," Yuri commented. The shadow he could see cocked its head to one side. The swordsman took that to mean the man was considering the argument.

"But why at this time of night?" He questioned, his tone suspicious.

Yuri chimed in quickly, making up for the blonde's lag, "Because he'd be swamped with pleas of escape if he came any earlier. Do you know how many people want a way out of jail?"

The man stood in stupid silence, Flynn finally catching up with the conversation, "Yes. I know it's against regulations, but a visit from a captain to the jails would probably cause a commotion. I should have informed a guard present, but I didn't want to be a bother," he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, casting his eyes down.

If Yuri didn't know any better, he'd had believed Flynn's word with how the blonde was acting. The dark haired man snickered to himself… and Flynn always scolded him for lying so well…

"Oh…" was all the guard said.

From what Yuri could see, the man was shifting his weight back and forth now. The shadow jumped ever so slightly to the left and right, showing that the man was probably nervous. For added humor, the swordsman decided to be just a bit cruel to the poor knight who was forced to keep watch,

"Hey, you might want to go now… I'd hate to see the expressions on some of these prisoners faces if they had to be awoken in the middle of the night."

He saw the shadow stiffen, ever so slightly.

It took a moment, but the guard responded, his voice shaking just a bit, "Yes… well… Captain Scifo, perhaps you should come with me," he stated, then almost as an afterthought, "if you're done."

The blonde gave a solid nod and stood from his crouched position.

"Sorry for all the trouble," Yuri added sarcastically.

He received a smile from his friend, "perhaps another time then?"

Yuri gave a smirk back, "sure."

He watched the captain go, his shadow forming with the guards before the light disappeared all together with the 'thunk' of the closing door.

With an audible sigh, the swordsman strolled back to his bed, wondering what Flynn's true purpose for the visit had been. It wasn't like the blonde to come just for a friendly greeting… they were best friends, and best friends didn't come visit each other in jail. Throwing himself onto his bed, he gazed at the dark ceiling, trying to find something interesting to keep his mind on.

Whatever the reason for Flynn's sudden appearance, it could probably wait. If Flynn hadn't spit it out before he'd left, then all was well until his next visit.

Yuri wanted to believe that, but he had a hard time trying.

Something in his gut was telling him that the blonde had missed his last chance to fix whatever was about to happen. Deep inside the dark haired man's core, he could feel something was off. A solid chill ran up his spine as he processed the thought longer… Flynn had missed his last opportunity to solve something Yuri, himself, was directly involved in.

Suppressing a shudder, he turned over in his cot and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the sensation that was gripping his heart. He'd gotten out of scrapes before; this wasn't going to be anything different. Regardless of the situation Flynn had come to warn Yuri about, it was probably just his friend overreacting.

Certainly if it had been something big and terrifying, his friend would have told him despite another person being in the room. Flynn played 'knight' very well, but he wouldn't allow danger to befall the people he loved simply because of protocol.

With the blanket firmly tossed over the elephant that crowded his mind, Yuri fell into a dreamless sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He awoke to stiff gloved arms yanking him off the bed. Yuri crashed to the floor, feeling his head make contact with the ground. Dazed, he struggled to fight against the powerful arms that hoisted him up and dragged him from his cell.

Colors danced through his vision, and the world span as he was violently moved from the cell and into a brightly lit hallway.

The light stung his eyes, and the swordsman tried to squeeze his eyes shut, but a gloved hand slapped him across the face, sending another shockwave to his tired brain.

What the hell was going on?

Who were these men? Where they trying to kill him? Kidnap him? What was the point of dragging someone out of prison?

All of the questions he had needed answers, but the most pressing on his mind, "What the hell is going on!" He didn't state it as a question. To him, it was a demand. Whatever was going on, he did not want to be a part of it. "Tell me now!"

One person turned to him, the man's face covered with dark cloth. Yuri half expected an answer from the man, but instead received a fist in the stomach.

The shock sent him reeling. The swordsman gasped for breath quickly, finding the jolting pain riding up his spine. He sputtered a bit, trying to get his voice back, but words failed him.

He continued to be dragged down the hall, several turns being made. If Yuri hadn't been beaten before they started hauling him from his cell, he was sure he could have memorized the path they were taking in case he needed it again. Sadly, that wasn't the case. His head was spinning, and in a frantic attempt, he tried to set the course they were taking into his memory, but his mind refused to hold it.

Instead, it was focusing on questions Yuri barely allowed to bubble to the surface, 'what if this was what Flynn had come to warn him about?'

That would mean the dark haired man's earlier thoughts about the idea were right. Whatever Flynn had come to talk to him about, it was dangerous…

The horrible thoughts that the mere idea conjured in Yuri's mind made him want to gag. This couldn't be right, they had to have the wrong person. Whoever the men were, they wouldn't come to drag a man out of jail for their own purposes. Why not wait until he'd been released to strike? People were going to begin wondering where Yuri was…

Though, the swordsman had to inwardly sigh to himself. He knew denying what was going on wasn't going to help any. Normally, he wasn't the type to deny anything. If something was going on, he might as well deal with it, right?

Quickly, the dark haired man slammed his feet into the ground, using the heels of his shoes to grind him and the group dragging him to a stunned stop. Using his bodyweight, Yuri flipped himself into the air, twisting his arms out grip, and then out of reach.

Shocked, some of the black clad men charged at him blindly, each meeting a quick fate to Yuri's fist.

He stuck fast and hard, using the men's body weight against them as he tossed them into the wall and each other.

Loud 'clunks' filled the air as skulls mashed with skulls. Yuri twisted his body gracefully, dancing among the attack group, dodging fists and kicks.

With ease, he ducked under a man's attempted roundhouse kick, and the dark haired man grabbed the leg and swung the man around, knocking some other man unconscious. Several more joined the fray after that.

One thing Yuri noticed while fighting was that they were all unarmed. It seemed strange to say the least. They were dragging a dangerous criminal out of a prison cell in the middle of the castle, and didn't expect they'd need weapons?

It stuck him as odd, but Yuri just dodged another fist before thinking about it again. He grabbed the attacker's arm and snapped it at the elbow. A howl of pain escaped from behind the black clad face, and the swordsman kneed the man in the stomach before he went down. Two men charged him then, and with a huff, Yuri jumped and twisted in the air, effectively dodging the two men, and knocking a third waiting man out.

He exhaled loudly, pulling in another breath deeply. All of the acrobatics he preformed took a lot of strength, and a couple of days lazily lying about in jail had weakened him ever so slightly. He needed to get back in his grove if he was going to beat the men down.

Immediately after the thought, the dark haired man flipped out of another man's grasp and proceeded to kick a black clad face to the floor. Upon landing, he kicked his foot straight into the chin of another man, spun on his heel, and kneed another man in the gut.

Several more men fell to the swordsman while he danced, but the thought still nagged at his mind.

Unarmed? Why would a group infiltrating the capital be unarmed?

Then it hit him… literally.

An impact to his back caused him to stagger forwards, his thoughts spinning. Before he could retort with another form of violence, Yuri felt an muscular arm wrap around his neck. The grip was like iron, and the swordsman felt all of the air leaving his body.

He attempted to struggle, to kick the man away from him, but it didn't work.

Slowly, the air in his body left him, and the world around him began to fade to black. His last question was answered as he succumbed to the darkness… the group had no weapons because they were from the capital… and they had completely expected him to fight back.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Loud angry noises filled Yuri's ears as he finally came too. His entire body felt heavy, and his muscles were tight.

He opened his eyes to see a cheering crowd before him. Millions of people it seemed, all around him. He craned his neck to see he was in a coliseum, the stands filled to the brim with people.

Was he in Nordipolica?

No… that didn't seem right to him. The people that cheered in the crowds seemed to well dressed and to calm to be rebellious guild members. The upper crust of the Empire society seemed to fit the bill more than a guild member did.

So why Zaphias?

With a pained effort, he moved around, feeling for the first time the shackles that had been placed on his wrists and ankles.

Inwardly sighing in annoyance, he glanced around for familiar faces… and found the one that hit him the most.

Flynn was sitting near the front, a group of knights surrounding him. All of the knight's expressions showed excitement, but from what Yuri could read on Flynn, it was something else far more morbid. Sadness perhaps?

Flynn didn't look quiet sad. Angry? No, that didn't work either.

Regardless, the dark haired man saw the questionable expression on his friend's face. Yuri wanted to say something, or give the blonde some sort of sign, but no ideas came to him. Instead, the swordsman continued to look at the captain as someone moved beside him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Cried a man, "a fugitive has finally been caught!"

The crowd erupted into hoots and hollers, applause and laughter almost like the man had said 'there will now and forever be free ice cream!'

Yuri turned his vision just a bit to see none other than the Commandant of the Knights, Alexei, standing and giving a speech to the cheering crowd.

"Yesterday, the man who had terrorized this city for twenty one years, was caught! His crimes are to many to name, but he's been convicted of them all! He has no remorse, and now, he's been sentenced to publicly be killed."

Yuri's mind froze on the word 'killed'. He was supposed to die? The swordsman wanted to say something, but his voice couldn't find his throat. He struggled against the pressing weight that seemed to be upon him. All of the air in his lungs left in a silent whoosh, and he couldn't stop his heart from beating rapidly.

Blood pumped through his ears like a drum, and he felt the entire world freeze, the one word being repeated over and over again like a metronome… 'killed', 'killed', 'killed'…

Shifting his gray eyes towards Flynn's blue ones, he saw no emotion pass over the captain's face.

Was this what Flynn had tried to warn him about? Would it have hurt the man to have thrown it out in conversation?

'I'm glad to hear you're doing good, oh, by the way, you're going to die.'

Yuri felt an icy chill run up his back at the thought of dieing… he didn't want to die yet. There were thousands of things Yuri wanted to accomplish before he was suppose to kick the bucket, and be put to death wasn't one of them.

He had to say something.

As a word slipped from his lips, the crowd exploded into a fit of cheers. Even the dark haired man's thoughts were wiped out in the onslaught of noise that the crowd encircling him created.

Absent mindedly, he twisted his head around to see what everyone was so happy about, and then wished he hadn't.

A man with a sharp ax stepped out into view, waving his weapon around like some sort of trophy.

The swordsman's blood ran cold, and he felt his nerves get the better of him. He began to shake, his wrists scratching against the iron bonds, rubbing them sore. He felt all of his muscles go slack against the stress, and he struggled to keep on a neutral face.

Again, he looked back at Flynn, his landline, his rock, his friend. If there was anybody in the entire world who could free Yuri now, it would be the blonde.

Flynn had a way with people that made it impossible to ignore. Persistence wasn't the word the swordsman would use, but annoyance would be. The blonde had a way to crawl right under peoples skin and multiply in there.

He was a troublemaker in a different way than Yuri had ever been, and with a single word, the captain would probably be able to stop the entire thing.

A look at his friend though, made the swordsman's heart drop further.

A static expression was plastered to the blonde's face, and his eyes that usually showed off his emotions were uncharacteristically blank.

It had to be a joke. The captain was going to stand up at any second and demand the thing stopped. Flynn just wasn't going to sit around and watch his best friend die…

Yuri watched hopelessly as the captain remained seated, his hands sitting in his lap. Nothing displayed on the blonde's features, and the swordsman felt the blood drain from his face.

"Flynn?" Yuri spoke, his voice unheard over the crowd's screams.

Feeling the presence of the executioner behind him, the swordsman braced himself for whatever was going to happen next. Slowly, the ax was brought even with his neck, the fine blade sitting against his flesh.

The dark haired man took a ragged breath in, feeling the crisp edge slicing his skin. The trickle of warm blood slid down his neck and pooled at his shoulder, causing another icy finger to trace up his spine.

"Flynn…" Yuri mouthed, feeling completely pathetic as he attempted to keep his face neutral. He felt all hope plummet to it's doom as he felt the blade being lifted away from his neck.

Nothing else to do then, he supposed. He was going to die, and his best friend was going to watch. Yuri used his eyes to plead with the captain, but it almost seemed like it wasn't going through.

Was there an invisible wall that disconnected Yuri from Flynn? Did Flynn not possibly understand the meaning of death? Perhaps the captain couldn't understand that Yuri was about to die, and there was no turning it around.

Flynn just didn't understand, he wasn't seeing! There was no way the blonde would stand for what was happening if he understood what was going on! Yuri wanted to go up to the man and slap him. He wanted to scream, make the crowd shut up and scream his lungs out!

Flynn! He wanted to shout, don't you understand what's going on here!

The dark haired man tried desperately to make his friend understand. He attempted to convey his thoughts with his eyes, begging for the blonde to get a clue.

Before time runs out Flynn! He wanted to shout.

Words escaped him, making him try so much harder to make Flynn understand. What was so difficult about an ax at someone's neck? Did the captain think it was a joke?

Yuri trembled as he heard the tight black leather the man behind him was wearing go taut. The executioner was now ready to bring the ax back, only this time, much faster.

One last-ditch effort of communication, the swordsman begged Flynn with his eyes. Don't you get it? He expressed, save me!

Then, it was as if time had frozen.

The recently static face of Flynn cracked, for just a second. Yuri watched helplessly as he saw the blonde grit his teeth together, and one silent tear slide down his cheek… so, it was all for politics huh?

Of course Flynn knew what was going on. It was stupid for Yuri to think otherwise. As much as Yuri wanted his friend to climb to the top, shoving people under the bus wasn't the way he'd wanted it accomplished.

Part of the dark haired man didn't want to believe what was going on. Another part of him tried to reason with Flynn's motives… maybe he was forced to sit and watch? Perhaps there's hope yet?

Most of him though, felt an anger boil through his veins. Why had Flynn failed to mention the possibility of this during their talk? Why had it stayed inside the blonde's mind? If the captain had any real care, he'd have thrown caution to the wind and told Yuri flat out what was going on.

The captain had never been one to keep secrets. He did what was absolutely necessary… and Yuri supposed him dieing was now.

Flynn certainly was the perfect little knight.

The rest of his sane mind's cries were left unheard the whistle of the blade sailing through the air caught his ears. There wasn't any more time to think…

A quick, almost painless second later, Yuri slumped to the floor of the stadium, now unable to see or hear Flynn scream his name.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N:Ah, and there is defiantly more to this story...

Hope you all enjoyed the update. :) I had been hoping to update this earlier(around Christmas as Rei-Yunacat had suggested) but several things went wrong with my life at that point in time. My grandmother had to be rushed to the hospital, sever trouble with a friend of mine and other personal issues... but everything has straightened out now(or rather, changed from pressing issues to minor annoyances) and I was able to update!

I've been excited to see what everyone thinks of this. And, as stated above, there is more, and it will be explored next. It certainly raises some questions though, doesn't it?

Hope you enjoyed once more, and feel free to review, they're always appreciated!


	12. Chapter 11

A/N:Rated Older Teen... for themes more then anything else and because sometimes I even scare myself.

Chapter Eleven

"Say goodbye…"

-Breaking Benjamin, Dance with the Devil

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

_Six years ago_

He wasn't sure if it was pain or not.

Whatever it was, Yuri had never felt it before in his life. It felt like acid was burning it's way through his veins, and that with every heart beat, the air in his lung heated up, setting his throat on fire.

His neck hurt. It was as if he'd fallen off a cliff, gotten run over by a stamped of horses, and then devoured by wolves… which was one hell of an imaginative death. Sadly, he almost wished that was what had happened, because he was sure it'd hurt less.

Every time he moved a muscle, a spasm jolted his brain, and it sent him screaming. Screaming even hurt, causing him to scream more until the pain was just to unbearable… then he'd pass out.

Yuri wasn't sure how many times he'd passed out and woken up only to move because he was unsure of where he was. The pattern was a vicious one, causing him more pain each time he'd wake up from another hazy unconsciousness.

His current reawakening, he halted himself before he unintentionally set the chain reaction off again. As hard as it was to lie still in an unusual environment, he made it happen. There was no reason to go through the pain again and again if it was easily avoidable. Taking quick, ragged breaths to avoid another stab of pain, he tried to move his eyes around to see where he was.

His bangs mainly covered his eyes, but through the strands of dark hair, he could make out walls, which probably meant he was in a room of some sort, though he had no idea why. From his sense of touch, he could tell he was lying on his stomach; the surface underneath him plush.

Drawing conclusions, he decided he was lying on a bed or couch, and that probably put him in a bedroom.

Regardless of the situation, the swordsman tried to reason with it. Why was he here anyways? That was the question that was burning at his mind. Millions more raced through his skull, but the one he wanted answered now probably would be left blank.

Hadn't he died?

In a flash, he remembered the look of Flynn's face as the entire event unfurled. The black clad people, the roaring crowd, Alexie, the crack in his friend's static face as the executioner brought down the ax…

Yuri felt his breath seize, and he felt his heart hammer through his ribcage. He could feel it, even see it, as the ax sliced through the tender flesh of his neck, the muscles, the bone… and so much blood!

He shivered, only after noticing his grave mistake. All of his muscles contracting induced his body to spasm. Suddenly, he couldn't control any of the muscles as they jerked quickly.

The dark haired man let out a raw scream, causing more insufferable pain. His chest exploded into fire as the air burned out of his lungs and his entire body shook like a rag doll. So much pain, and his brain was unable to process it. He felt him memory fry, and it took his depleted energy to attempt to stop screaming.

Screaming was what knocked him out in the end. It was the fact that he promoted the spasms by screaming, meaning if he could get together enough conscience thought, he could stop himself from sinking into the world of black once again.

An attempt, that's what it had been, but it wasn't strong enough. His body simply refused to ignore the pain he was in, and instead, it screamed him into submission once again.

All went black.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Don't scream.

His first thought as he pulled himself back out of the black.

He wanted to shake, he wanted to get up and move, but he knew that if he did, he'd have to play another tug-of-war game with his body.

To scream, or not to scream… that was the question.

Inwardly, Yuri laughed at himself. So stupid, it was probably just proving how far gone his mind was. He didn't know where he'd taken the phrase from, but he figured it'd suit his purposes just fine.

He pondered his make shift saying. Screaming meant to continue the process that he eventually fall prey to it anyways. It meant going into so much pain that he was splashed in cool darkness, where he forgot everything, and everything forgot him.

Past all of the pain that he went through during an 'episode' as he decided from then on to call them, he was dropped into a bucket of ignorance. He escaped, even for a moment, the harsh ways of the reality he was in. It was the calmest and most relaxing thing he had now.

He could escape from everything if he went into an episode.

Except he'd be screaming like a child.

The swordsman wasn't one to care too much about his appearance, but he did care more than people thought. He had good clean habits and groomed himself every day. He figured that if he looked his best, he could be the best… but the thing Yuri cared more about than physical appearance was reputation.

He had a horrible reputation, but not in a bad way. Sure, he was a criminal with many people angry with him, but he was world known. People from far and wide could point him out in a crowd. He was known to be calm and rational at times, and sometimes, cold and deceitful. The dark haired man took great pride in his reputation, and screaming while in pain wasn't something he liked to do willingly.

Obviously, he couldn't stop the episodes from happening. One wrong move, and the entire thing snowballed into a deformed monster determined to cause Yuri the most pain and humiliation possible.

So, was he to allow the monster to take control every single time he jerked one muscle? Or was he supposed to fight back even though it caused much more pain?

He supposed the answer wasn't that hard to come to. Fight of course. It was fine with him if the monster wanted to duel; the dark haired man was an excellent swordsman.

When it came to reputation, Yuri wasn't going to back down. He had fought long and hard to secure the rep he had, he wasn't about to drop it all because he was in pain.

Trying to distract himself from the pounding questions that now filled his skull, the swordsman glanced around, only flicking his eyes from one side to the other to see. The room looked the same as always, giving off no indication of the time lapse that had happened because of he'd fallen unconscious.

There had to be something inside the room. A clock, or a window… but no light came from anywhere except what seemed to be a candle from behind him.

It was impossible to turn his head and look at the light source, but it seemed his only link to the outside world.

The small light flickered like a candle would, but didn't seemed to be anywhere near dieing. Of course Yuri knew that a candle wasn't the best source for information. Candles would burn for hours before finally going out because of the wax. Without knowing what the candle looked like, he couldn't judge time at all.

Also, the fact that he was in a room instead of the coliseum probably meant that someone was watching out for him.

A small flicker of hope started up in his heart. Flynn? Could it possible be Flynn? Perhaps his friend had been quick enough to stop the procession right before Yuri had lost his complete head. An expert healer could have the ability to save his life, and now, the blonde was keeping the swordsman safe from harm?

It seemed like a Flynn thing to do except… why didn't he stop it in the first place? Why did Flynn sit idly by and wait for the ax to drop? Surly the blonde hadn't meant to. Perhaps Flynn had had a long night after the visit with his friend. Flynn probably went out to get a drink… perhaps a girl?

Yuri mentally shook his head, that wasn't like Flynn at all. The friend he knew scarcely drank, when he did, not very much, and the captain wasn't at all like a man who'd go to a bar to pick up a woman.

So maybe Flynn had been drugged?

Poisoned?

Threaten with the fate of the entire world?

While Yuri pondered all of his ideas, a darker voice whispered, 'perhaps it was nothing at all. What if you're friend just decided he'd leave you to die?'

Just the whisper made Yuri jolt; another stupid mistake.

The pain flooded back like the gates had been left open. He felt everything inside him heat up with pain, and a scream erupted from his throat.

No! He scolded himself. Don't scream!

He felt the raw sound echoing off the walls in a mocking way. It was as if he was back in the coliseum and everyone was laughing at him. He felt the shame building up in his head, and pain building up in his body, but more importantly, he felt the energy building up in his brain.

More screams ripped from his throat, and it took all of Yuri's brainpower to make himself stop.

Solidly, without a delay, he dug his teeth into his lower lip, feeling fresh blood spill from the sudden wound.

He whimpered, just for a second, but all of the noise stopped immediately.

Struggling with himself, he finally moved his arm, pain flaring with every jerk, to his mouth, clasping his hand firmly over it.

Pain still bit the insides of his body, but his mind was crystal clear now. He could process thoughts like he never knew he could. Everything seemed to come into sharp focus, and a loud buzz took place of the scream he'd previously heard.

The sound intensified as he moved his eyes, then his head around the room. It was an empty room that held only the bed he was laying on and a desk with a tall flickering candle on it. Everything else seemed to mold into the darkness that surrounded most of the room. Even with the candle, Yuri couldn't make out a door that would surly be on one of the walls.

He didn't dare attempt to sit up. Moving was hard enough, feeling the pain stab harder with each little muscle that moved; but with his mouth closed, he prevented any more noise to fill the hollow room. The only noise that now surrounded him was the buzz that came from nowhere.

He scanned around a bit more before gently laying his head back onto the bed.

He closed his eyes, feeling the pain lick at his skin from below.

It hurt like hell, but at least he wasn't screaming…

"Yuri."

The word shattered the buzz instantly, and the noisy sounds of the room returned violently. He could hear, just for a second, the movement of the cloth on the bed, the flicker of the candle as the flame danced around the wick. He could hear the entire bed wheeze as another weight was added to it, but more importantly, he could hear the breathing of the person who now sat beside him.

All of the noises flooded his mind for just a second, before disappearing back into the surroundings. It was unnerving, and Yuri found himself at a lack for words.

In a sudden movement, the swordsman was flipped onto his back, his hair spraying out across the bed and his arms flopping to his sides. For a moment, he was worried he'd scream again, but no noise exited his throat as his eyes fell upon the man who'd called his name.

Cumore.

Yuri hated Cumore.

Inwardly, Yuri glared, but outwardly, the swordsman kept a neutral face. He struggled to figure out what the man was doing here, especially if it was Flynn who'd saved the swordsman. Cumore had no right to intrude on Flynn's personal chambers… or wherever the hell he was.

Then the dark voice whispered in it's vile way, 'what if Cumore saved you?'

Yuri hitched his breath.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he commented, sounding almost insulted at the fact that Yuri had not woken up earlier.

Still at a loss for words, the swordsman said nothing.

"It's not fair to have left me wondering if it really worked."

Honestly, the dark haired man wanted to jump up and hit the man in the face, but his body refused to move. He laughed darkly at the irony. His body wouldn't stop moving when he wanted it to stop, and now it wouldn't move when he wanted it to move.

He had to wonder what the creepy man was talking about though. Worked? What had Cumore tried?

In a swift movement, the captain put his arms on either side of Yuri's chest. The dark haired man could feel the weight on either side of him, and it made his blood run cold. What the hell was the man doing?

All sorts of horrible things came to Yuri's mind, which didn't help his whole 'can't move' predicament, but he fought of the fear that had begun to surface. If anything happened, Yuri would make his muscles move.

The creepy man smiled, his eyes hungry. Absent mindedly, Yuri noted that the man wasn't wearing his signature makeup.

Yuri didn't know if he wanted to gag or scream again. The man looked even creepier without his makeup on.

His face seemed to be shaded differently without the makeup to draw the attention. The captain's face seemed oddly displaced compared to everything else in the room. Inwardly, the swordsman felt a twinge of fear that he'd forced down just a second ago.

Cumore lifted his hand, placing it on the base of the dark haired man's throat. He caressed it softly, letting his fingers mingle on the man's collarbones.

Yuri didn't let any emotion fill his eyes, though he was truly angry and frightened. What the hell was the man doing? With all of his might, the swordsman tried to move his arms, his legs, anything! No muscle would twitch, making more fear claw their way into his heart.

The captain eventually floated from Yuri's collarbone down the man's sternum, tracing light circles into his chest.

The dark haired man tried to say something then. There was no way in hell a man was going to touch him like that!

"Sto-" a finger was placed over his lips.

Cumore 'shh'ed him, and reassured him that everything was going to be okay.

Well, if Cumore wasn't going to let the swordsman talk, he'd just try to fight back. Using as much energy as he could, he tried to bite the creepy man's finger. It was quiet the pathetic attempt, but desperate times called for desperate measures he supposed.

He received a slight slap to the face for his disobedience. Cumore waves his finger at Yuri as if scolding him then went back to tracing circles.

Another stab of fear, and the swordsman attempted to shout something this time. If he couldn't move, then by God, he was going to get someone else's attention.

The words however, got caught in his throat.

Cumore's hand had traveled to the left side of his chest, still drawing abstract circles into Yuri's white flesh. It wasn't the fact that the creepy man's hand's had moved though, it was the lack of feeling that came with it. Suddenly, it was like the captain had stopped touching his skin. The dark haired man couldn't feel anything sensual; all he could feel was a heavy pressure against his chest.

He strained to look, instantly regretting it.

Cumore had pulled away the swordsman's shirt, revealing a stone that was embedded into his chest. It was blue of color, and flashed at an odd pace.

Inwardly, the dark haired man felt sick.

A blastia? He wanted to moan, or perhaps scream. What had happened then? Was it just like what had happened to Raven? Had Yuri actually died and Cumore, of all people, had brought him back to life? He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to stash it away with the other things he refused to believe. Surly there was no way that had happened…

It wasn't until the captain reached his lips down and kissed the rock ever so lightly that Yuri began to believe the horrors of what had happened. He felt the pressure of the kiss, the heavy weight it created, against his chest. He couldn't feel the passionate side of it, nor the longing that was embedded in the kiss, but without even looking Yuri knew what the creepy man had done… and what he wanted now.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It was raining as Yuri stared out the window.

The storms of Zaphis had always come in quickly, settling over the city for one drooling day, then moved on to terrorize other portions of the continent. Long down pours and flashes of lightning, a sight that the swordsman completely hated.

He loved the sun, seeing it's vivid colors and the brilliant rays come down from heaven, almost like God had opened his doors so the world could be filled with light. It was a tranquil feeling that the dark haired man got from seeing the pale yellows and oranges as they played across the ground. He didn't receive the feeling from anywhere else in the world, and there was nothing that could replace the sensation of sunlight pricking against his skin.

Not that rain didn't have it's own beauties. He loved the sound and the way it seemed to wash all of the world's problems away… but that was only a ruse, even he knew that.

People were generally happier when the sun came out. The city was more alive, citizens hustling and bustling to and fro, kids playing ball in the warm downfall of light, and the smiles that were plastered on everyone's face showed how much the sun could wash away. Rain only hid the woes of the people behind a curtain, even though it seemed strange that the cleanest of water couldn't wash away the sins of the world, but one glimmer of the all-powerful light in the sky, and sin dashed from sight.

If he could change one thing in the weather, it'd be that it'd never rain. Obviously, though, his mind was wandering.

Yuri shook his head, only then remembering that the slightest of moves made his head spin.

The pain was long gone, replaced by the drag of recovery. Nausea, dizzy spells and numbness were only the first signs of his getting better. He was told that it'd get worse. The recovery would have to take a violent turn before he had any hope of returning to normal…

He laughed.

He supposed normal wasn't in his vocabulary anymore.

Nonchalantly, Yuri pulled off his shirt; folding it neatly and placing it in a pile of clothes that he'd claimed were dirty.

They really weren't, but that was beyond the point.

He tried not to glance towards the mirror that sat propped against the wall. It's rough edges and smooth surface mocked the swordsman from far away, and it was all he could do to ignore its siren calls.

Yuri didn't want to look at himself.

Anytime he looked at himself, all he could see was a monster.

His pulse quickened as he thought about what Cumore had done.

The bastard had quickly rushed to Yuri's body after the slaying, hoping to revive the swordsman, even though his head was off.

It angered the dark haired man to think that the captain had made it in enough time to make the body react. Cumore had spoken at great lengths about his success. He said he'd been in a hurry, shoving the swordsman decapitated head towards the body, and doing what ever the hell someone did when they wanted to replace a heart with a cold rock.

Yuri had wanted to ask so many questions. There were so many holes in the explanation that didn't make sense, showing themselves like red against black, but the dark haired man had refrained. As much as he wanted to know, curiosity was a danger to him as well.

The perverted captain had already claimed what he'd wanted from the swordsman by the time that particular conversation had come around, and he showed no interest in expanding on the it.

Regardless of how much Yuri wanted to know, all of it disgusted him.

Yuri felt anger flare against his skin, and for the first time, an uncontrollable rage filled his blood. He'd been angry to many times to count, but the feeling that engulfed him seemed like something from a much darker place. It blinded him, and he could feel a sharp pain against his brain.

It was as if something was telling him something, it's claws girding against his spine as it carved its desires into his soul.

With quick, even steps, the swordsman was over by the mirror, examining his body. Torso down, he was clothed, but the pale skin above his belt line almost shined in the candlelight. His abs were carved into his flesh, pecs and biceps were formed to perfection, and they were tight against his skin. His entire body was unmarred and beautiful.

He had always loved his body. Not that he enjoyed being vain, but he was built perfectly. He'd had muscle since he'd been a child, and his skin had always been as smooth as marble… but now there was an imperfection.

The blue orb sat towards the left side of his chest, the vein like arms digging into his skin. The odd flash the thing gave off only added fuel to Yuri's fire. It seemed like it was the one thing that kept him from returning to normal. From now on, he'd have the cold stone embedded into his chest, always at the constant cry of the captain that had so 'graciously' revived him.

Black, the anger was black. There wasn't a hint of red in the raw fuel that burned inside his body. With a quick jolt, the dark haired man crashed his fist into the mirror. He felt the glass slice his knuckles as it scattered through the air. The shards cut other various areas of his flesh as they cascaded down onto the wooden floor beneath his feet. He didn't care about any of that though, the blind rage was the only thing forefront in his mind.

Something inside of him snapped, and he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted it to be fixed. Regardless of if the anger was healthy or not, it felt good. He could feel energy course thorough his otherwise weak body, and the muscles he had pulsed underneath the pressure of rage that was building up inside of him. He could use this power…

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts,

"Yuri, can I come in?" The voice was muted behind the dark wooden door, but Yuri knew exactly who it was, and he rolled his eyes.

"Sure," he stated simply, pulling his fist away from the empty mirror frame.

The door creaked open, and Cumore walked in. He gracefully swished his hips as he entered, his hands lying at his sides. He seemed about to say something, but his pink lined eyes froze on the image in front of him.

The swordsman was sure it was quiet the sight.

He'd be standing there, blood oozing from various cuts, surrounded by shards of reflective glass. For some reason, the dark haired man thought it probably looked a bit creepy. He smiled at Cumore, hoping to scare the captain a little.

It seemed to do the trick. The man stuttered just a bit as he talked in a breathless tone, "I heard a crash in here…"

Yuri was sure he had originally come up to ask if everything was okay, but it seemed a bit pointless now.

A dumb silence followed. It passed for several minutes while the two just stood there, waiting for something to happen. The swordsman didn't mind making the man wait, but Cumore seemed anxious to get a conversation started,

"Flynn has been promoted to a rank similar to Alexia. He is second in command, and controls the forces on the inactive fronts."

For some reason, the information bit Yuri deep. The dark voice inside him whispered, 'so he was only in it for the promotion after all…' but the swordsman ignored the words.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked instead.

Cumore gave him an eager look, "well, doesn't that make you angry!" It wasn't a question. For some reason, the captain wanted the dark haired man to be angry with Flynn for the abandonment. Sure, the swordsman felt anger flare through his insides at the mere mention of his best friend's name, but Yuri was holding onto the hope that there was something else behind the entire happenings in the coliseum. No matter what the blonde had done, it simply struck a cord deep inside the swordsman's mind. It wasn't like Flynn to abandon anyone.

Perhaps it was a small hope, but Yuri couldn't hate Flynn for what happened. The revulsion that filled his mind was towards the captain present in the room.

Cumore gave the swordsman an eager look, but it was only returned with an uninterested look.

Apparently, the lack of enthusiasm made the captain upset, "That lowlife dropped you like a rock for a promotion! Doesn't that make you mad!"

Again, it wasn't a question.

It was a demand.

What did Cumore want Yuri to do, agree? It seemed a bit pointless to rally the troops for the soul purpose to have someone to complain to.

"Sure," the swordsman stated, though just the way he said it made it sound like he didn't give a damn.

The captain took the bait anyways, "That pathetic excuse for a knight always gets the promotions! Whatever someone wants him to do, he does it! I do everything and more, and what do I get? Nothing!"

Yuri wasn't sure if Cumore wanted sympathy or not. He decided against adding fuel to the fire, though he could feel his fists clench as the captain went on complaining,

"I've worked so hard, and I end up with nothing! That Flynn Scifo has always had it out for me! I think he's jealous of me!" Just the way Cumore spoke made his woes sound like a dramatic speech. Yuri wasn't interested, but the way the man was standing obviously blocked any hope of escape. The captain continued his rant, "I brought you back to serve me, so go kill him!"

The room became silent, like the entire world had frozen. The candle that flickered silently in the room was the only thing that changed in the dramatic pause the world took.

"Kill him?" Yuri questioned.

"Yes… get rid of him!"

Another beat of silence, "no."

Cumore's face grew angry. It contorted to an unrecognizable rage, "I brought you to life for this soul purpose! He watched you die, that's reason enough for you to kill him!"

The dark haired man gave Cumore a hard stare. Just by watching the captain, Yuri could see the muscles under the bright pink uniform tense up. The captain didn't like the look he was getting, that much was obvious. The swordsman didn't care though, what mattered to him was that the man fully understood that there was no way Yuri would stoop so low. He felt another coil of anger bubble through his insides, and it was all he could do to hold back the black acid that burned his skin.

Yes, he hated Flynn for various reasons, but that didn't mean he was going to bloody his hands because someone told him to. Cumore might have brought him back to life, but if Yuri was to die again because he didn't listen to his 'commands, so be it.

The swordsman didn't notice till it became visibly obvious, but Cumore was shaking. He feared whatever wrath Yuri could have inside his fists. With a glance, the dark haired man looked at the glass that sat so perfectly around his feet. The reflection of his expression caught him a bit off guard. Livid gray eyes and dark shadows that covered half his face. The look was straight out of a horror movie. It was then that Yuri knew just exactly how intimidating he must've appear.

Though for how terrifying he must look, it was only a matter of seconds until Cumore had taken a few long steps and wrapped his arms around the dark haired man's waist.

The grip was like iron, and try as he might, Yuri couldn't get out of the hold.

"You have to understand my point of view…" Cumore spoke, seeming much more confidant, "and you have to listen to what I have to say."

He moved one of his hands to the swordsman's chest, resting an open palm against the blastia that flickered.

The gesture was anything but sensual. It was like pouring salt into an open wound. Yuri stood there, just a few centimeters shorter than the captain, but he felt his entire body go ridged at the implied message.

Cumore ran his nibble fingers around the edge of the blastia, tracing the lines that jetted out from the rock and into his skin.

A tingle ran up the swordsman's spine, but he couldn't do anything about the man who stood in front of him.

"I didn't say it was an option," the captain stated smoothly. He smiled a bit, his expression humorous, "it's a command."

With force, the man slammed his fist into the blastia, causing a shock of pain to roll up Yuri's chest. He bit back a scream as pain jolted through the vein like arms that extended from the blastia and deep into his insides. Within a couple of seconds, the swordsman had collapsed to the ground, breathing through clenched teeth.

It hurt so badly, it begged the question… why? Yuri knew he was recovering, but he didn't think applying pressure would hurt so badly.

Cumore sank to his knees, putting a hand under the swordsman's chin, and raising it up to eye level.

Yuri did his best to keep a neutral expression, despite that pain that shook his core. The rapid rise and fall of his chest, his limbs shaking and his veins boiling over in anger and pain, all of them were obvious to the captain, this much the dark haired man was sure of.

Cumore leaned his head in, planting a harsh kiss on Yuri's lips.

That was something the swordsman couldn't stand though, and he retaliated by swinging his arm out to shove the captain away. It was in vain though, as Cumore landed another punch to the blastia embedded into the dark haired man's chest.

Another nauseating wave of pain, and Yuri tumbled back, landing with a thud on the ground. He felt the cool mirror shards cut into his skin, and he let out a ragged breath while Cumore climbed on top of him.

"You see…" Cumore said simply, placing his hand over the blastia, "this isn't about what you want to do… it's about me."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

So much pain…

Yuri was sure that it was more pain than when he'd first woken up with the blastia in his chest.

The bed he sat on was cool to the touch and silky soft. The blankets were laid neatly, and the pillows fluffed and ready for whosever's head decided to use them next. The silence in the room was overwhelming, and while the swordsman found he couldn't stand the hush that befell the room, he couldn't make a noise either.

His eyes were open, but unseeing. He stared down at his hands that were clinched and in his lap, but didn't see how badly they shook. All he really saw was the faint outlines and the faded colors of everything the world use to be.

It felt like years had pasted in the grueling day and night session he'd gone through. He couldn't recall details simply because it pained him too much to think about it, but he could remember one thing that had repeated over and over in his head.

'These are the people who make this world rotten.'

Like a record, it'd filled his mind, begging him to ignore the pain and frustration from outside and take a journey through the internal turmoil he felt.

Days… it'd only been days.

Days that stretched to years in the mere seconds of the horrors, but in reality, days had passed, and not a word from anyone since.

The room was unusually cool, but Yuri's body felt hot. He shook violently, though he was unsure why. All of the events that had happened over the course of a few simple days had changed him, he knew that.

Whatever had introduced itself to him in the mirror days ago had taken over a small part of his mind.

Bump…

Bump…

Bump against his skull, and the ever-constant voice that echoed inside his head day and night. It said things that were both reassuring and scary.

'These are the people who make this world rotten.'

Yuri had to agree with that point. During the entire ordeal, all of the pain and anger he felt could never be released. It just festered inside his body while the same thought ran over and over in his head. First it had no grounds. It was a simple statement that had wanted the dark haired man's attention, but as the day progressed, it had rooted itself inside his mind.

It began to make more and more sense.

It was people like Cumore who made the entire world suffer. People who watched passively, people who did heinous crimes to innocents, then got away free because of a technicality. Thousands, if not millions of people deserved to be brought to justice, but would never see the inside of a courtroom.

Just the thought made a hot anger cut through his unseeing vision. Instantly, Yuri stopped his shaking hands, gripping them together so tightly that they made his sore muscles ache.

There wasn't going to be any more whining for him. He was tired of being helpless while Cumore played his games.

The captain deserved to die. All of the suffering he caused, all of the pain he could get away with inflicting…

With a few steps, the swordsman was off the bed and at the door. His hand traveled to the doorknob. It was cold, and caused a chill to run through his fingers. The shock caused his hand to shake, and Yuri had to calm his muscles down again.

He didn't know if he was scared or if he was anticipating what was about to happen.

With a brisk motion, he opened the door and took cautious steps into the long hallway. The solid 'plat' of his feet against the wood brought some form of reassurance to the dark haired man. It made everything he was doing seem so real. His mind fleeted back to the bedroom and all of the events that had transpired behind the solid wooden door. The simple foggy memories made him even surer of what he was about to do.

He descended the stairs that sat at the end of the hall, and turned the sharp corner at the bottom of the steps. He was about twenty paces from his intended target, Cumore's bedroom, when a voice stopped him dead.

"What have you got to show me Cumore?" The voice made everything in his body freeze, and he locked his knees to keep himself from shaking.

"It's something I think you'll find very interesting Commander Scifo."

A wave of nausea sent the dark haired man's mind into a frenzy. He fought the urge to run to a bathroom and throw up, but he had to steady himself against a wall.

Flynn… Flynn was here.

Yuri didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream or a combination of all of them. He felt rage bubble in his veins, but a calm relief floated through his brain. Flynn was here, which surly meant that Cumore had done something wrong.

"Spit it out Cumore, I don't have time for this." Flynn's voice was impatient and cold. In a way, the dark haired man likened it to Alexei's voice.

"I think you're going to want to make time… frankly, I think it's something both you and I could show to Alexei to gain more approval."

"I don't need approval, I need answers. What do you want to show me? Or should I leave now and tell the commandant that what you had to show me was nothing of sever importance?" Flynn's voice was icy as he said his next phrase, "I'm sure Alexei would love to know that you just wasted the second in command's valuable time when he was suppose to be doing more important things."

A threat that Yuri could tell had an effect on Cumore.

"N-no," the captain stuttered, "I'm not wasting your time… it has to do with Yuri Lowell."

It seemed as if the entire house screeched to a halt. Even though the dark haired man was outside the room, he could feel the tension that was mounting just beyond the door.

"He's dead."

Flynn's words broke the tension and instead replaced it with something the swordsman couldn't recognize.

"Not as dead as you'd like to think."

"Are you somehow saying that you participated in a science that is forbidden?" Flynn's voice was even, but there was some emotion that was flooding out of the words he spoke. Yuri couldn't place it, but he knew the emotion that so easily floated through the air,

"Never!" Cumore shouted, angry now.

"Then what is it you have to show me? How could anything deal with a man who is already dead?"

"Well, I, he-"

Cumore was cut off, "spit it out!"

The rage and unplaced emotion spilled into the air like a gas leak.

Yuri felt instantly suffocated by the raw emotion that Flynn was showing. It was very unlike his friend to show his heart so readily on his sleeve,

"I'm trying!" Cumore whined.

Yuri could practically hear the eyes rolling in the blonde's sockets.

"If you have nothing better to say, then I'm leaving." Yuri heard the sturdy sound of knight patented boots against the wood floor and darted from the hallway. He turned the corner of the stairs and rested against the wall.

Seconds later he heard the door open and Flynn's even footsteps go into the hallway Yuri had just dashed from. A scurry of footsteps came, which the swordsman suspected to be Cumore,

"No, listen! Please! I'm just having a hard time explaining it!" Cumore's voice spoke. His tone sounded desperate, which the dark haired man doubted helped the man's case any.

"No, you listen," Flynn spoke in a voice that commanded attention. "You drag me away from work and expect me to listen to you ramble about unrelated things. You really have nothing better to do than bother me, do you?" Even though it was a question, anyone with intelligence could tell Flynn was stating an annoying fact.

Yuri had to wonder how many other times Cumore had gone to bother Flynn, especially about the promotion.

It took a moment, but Cumore seemed to find his voice again, speaking in a calm, even unnerving tone, "so you don't care that this is about Yuri Lowell?"

"He's dead," Flynn said without missing a beat.

"What if I told you he wasn't?" Obviously a hypothetical question, but it gave the blonde pause.

Yuri found himself wondering what his best friend's reply would be too. The Flynn he knew would have explored every avenue to help. Would Flynn listen to Cumore?

The swordsman had to give his friend a bit of leeway. It was Cumore after all. Even when Yuri had been 'alive' he'd never once given a thought to listen to the lies the captain spread though the air like butter.

But what did one say to that phrase?

"I still wouldn't care."

It was like a cold, cruel blade to the heart. Yuri felt as if he was about to collapse to the ground, but he somehow kept himself up. 'Still wouldn't care'? Suddenly, the dark haired man felt sick to his stomach again. He wasn't sure if it was the dismissive way the man had said it or the words that really got to him.

Surly Flynn didn't mean that.

The swordsman replayed the phrase over and over in his head, searching the words for some form of sadness or lie. All the tone said though, was dismissive annoyance… and that unrecognizable emotion.

Even Cumore seemed shocked by his response, "W-what? You… you wouldn't care?" He seemed to pause at the words, as if unsure of where to go next in the conversation.

"Yes. I wouldn't care. Regardless of past friendships, he's dead, and it was a long time coming."

Yuri's knees gave out. He collapsed with a thud to the floor, no longer caring if anyone heard or saw him. He shook uncontrollably while he tried to reason with what he was hearing. He denied it over and over in his head, telling himself that he was hearing things or that Flynn was just using a mask because there was no way Flynn could have told Cumore the truth.

'What happened to being a person who didn't deny things?'

The dark voice inside his head made him jump.

'Why couldn't your friend really be happy you're gone? Wouldn't that just make you right? You've always thought that everyone in the knights were corrupt, that everyone had their price… why does that exclude Flynn?'

Yuri didn't want it to make sense, but it did. Why had he always excluded Flynn? Just because he'd started out good didn't mean anything. Even the strongest of people had their breaking points, and he supposed Flynn's had been met.

'It really just makes him like all of the others.'

Another simple phrase, and it made Yuri's skin crawl. It did make the blonde like all of the others, didn't it?

Flynn's voice broke his mental chat, "What was that noise?"

Cumore fought for an answer, "a vase… a vase fell over!"

As obvious of a lie as it was, the blonde didn't question it. He probably just wanted to leave.

'Leave to his happy life,' the voice whispered, and Yuri could feel heat burn his skin.

"Well then, goodbye."

Cumore begged the man to listen to reason, but Flynn was gone within the next couple of minutes, leaving the swordsman and the captain alone.

With hurried steps, the man came over to the steps, turning the tight corner to see Yuri slumped against the wall.

"What are you doing out of your room!" The man wailed. He seemed upset, but the dark haired man hardly cared.

He didn't say anything, so Cumore continued his rant, "did you hear that conversation! Did you! You better not have you insufferable idiot! You didn't have permission to leave your room!"

Regardless of how angry the man was the swordsman didn't listen. There was a much more pressing voice bouncing off the insides of his mind.

'So everyone becomes like everyone else in the end. Even your friend was no different.'

Yuri shuddered at the thought, but more plagued his mind,

'how many other people have been like that to you? How many people have shoved you away for their own purposes?'

The swordsman wanted the voice to stop, to be quiet. He didn't want to think about those things, he didn't want to question what he'd never questioned before, but they kept coming,

'You came down here to kill Cumore, but he's still useful to you… There are others who aren't though. Others who deserve to die just as much as Cumore does.'

He knew where this was going, and he tried so hard to dash the voice from his head. He didn't want to hear it. The dark haired man was sure that if the thought even crossed his mind, there would be no going back. Everything the dark siren was saying was true… all of it. Regardless, that wasn't something he needed to hear.

He didn't need wood added to the fire.

The dark whisper finally spoke the words Yuri had been scared to hear. The acknowledgment of that things he feared,'The one who really deserves to die is Flynn.'

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Cumore screamed, but was instantly hushed by lips pressed to his.

Yuri had stood up quickly, mashing lips with the man he hated.

Finally, when they parted to breath, Yuri put a finger to the man's lips.

The swordsman gave a smile that could have scared a child, a chill running up and down his spine as he spoke the words, "Don't worry about it Cumore. I'm going to fix everything."

It was quiet in the house, but he needed the silence to think. A plan was already formulating in his mind, and it made his insides coil at the thought. He'd cleanse the world simply because the world needed it. He'd kill Flynn Scifo and everyone else in the capital simply because they deserved to die before anyone else.

Blood red was going to be his new favorite color, and the mix of salt and iron his favorite taste because for now, and a while to come, he wasn't Yuri Lowell… he was something much darker.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N:Tales of Graces F is going to be released here in America! Huzzah! Just got that news today from Talesunion and it was a wonderful surprise. Plus, they might be releasing Tales of Vesperia for the PS3! Only time will tell for that one, but that news encouraged me to edit this chapter. :D I had already pulled it up, and when I realized that I didn't have some of my classes today, I was planning on editing anyways(but everyone knows how those things go) but with this big news, I decided what better way to celebrate it then releasing another chapter?

I seriously could have split this into chapters, but I always enjoying reading longer chapters... and that's the general consensus I got from others, so I kept it the 22 pages it was. I really hope you enjoyed it(as much as you could counting Cumore was in it...*enter a full body shudder here*)

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll be getting the next one out soon!

Review as always. :D


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twleve

"Say goodbye, as we dance with the Devil tonight. Don't you dare look at him in the eye. As we dance with the Devil tonight."  
-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance with the Devil"

-0-0-0-0-0-

The world was hazy. Bright.

Halos circled around each light fixture in a magical way, making the events seem surreal. Flynn wanted to blink a couple of times and suddenly find himself back in his old room in the castle, even back in the bed of the underground.

Anywhere to be far away from where he was.

Flynn's eyes fixed on the icy blue mixture that pooled on the ground. It moved like blood, sliding it's way across the floor in a creepy manner, but it wasn't near the same color.

The color matched the blastia that was embedded into Scarlet's chest, and Flynn couldn't help but believe that they were related.

It wasn't until the captain's failing ears picked up on a loud and obnoxious noise, did he try paying attention to what was being said.

It was one word, carried on by the second vowel in the saying, and it was being screamed at the top of someone's lungs.

"Yuri!" Flynn recognized it was his voice, his screeching that his ears had picked up, but his blood ran cold at what he'd said.

No... not Yuri, Scarlet.

Yuri was Scarlet.

No, Scarlet was Scarlet.

Yuri had no part in what was happening... no, Yuri was the centerpiece. Yuri Lowell was Scarlet, the man Flynn Scifo so desperately wanted to kill with his own two hands. Scarlet was but a pseudonym to his childhood friend's real name.

Yuri Lowell.

Scarlet was Yuri Lowell, and Yuri Lowell was Flynn's best friend.

It was mind shattering, mind numbing and mind changing. He'd sworn to himself that he would never utter Yuri's name again. It wasn't a necessary connection, and Flynn knew he'd be better without desperately attaching his former friend with the man he wanted to kill. It made life simpler, it made his goal much more clear.

Kill Scarlet so everyone could survive without worrying anymore. But Scarlet was Yuri Lowell.

The soft sound of movement and clanging metal was what brought Flynn back to the present. In his wish washy vision, the captain observed Yuri moving around, his sword in his hand. Before another second could pass, the ruler swung at the blonde.

It was all he could do to dodge, but it clearly wasn't enough. Flynn's body was now moving on impulse, his muscles ready to give out, but with a quick flick of his wrist, he was able to land a counter attack against his opponent.

More blue flew through the air as the sword made contact with the ruler. It scattered through the air like paint and plopped to the ground in a series of drops.

There was a grunt from the dark haired man, but nothing more.

Flynn was shocked that Yuri was so determined, but he supposed some things didn't change, even with evil intentions. His brain spread in several different directions, trying to decide what to do next. Stand and fight? Risk losing his life and possibly much more? Or make a run for it? Surly the entire rebellion hadn't been put down. If he could make it outside, there was quite possibly someone who could help him take Yuri down... but he had to make it outside first.

Turning on his heel, the blonde dashed for the door that stood on the far left wall. His hand made it to the knob right when Yuri started making a pursuit.

Twisting the knob forcefully, he slammed open the wooden door and rushed down the perpetually black hallway.

No light came in from the room he'd just exited, no windows lined the walls, the only color in the hall was abysmal black, but Flynn pushed his legs as fast as they would go, not ready to face the challenge that followed behind him. Moments later, the blonde smashed through a door, its metal hinges grinding in protest, and he felt the first splash of rain on his skin in what seemed like ages.

The feeling was like being reborn. The chilling rain sailed down the captain's skin, causing a familiar shiver to run up his spine. It was welcoming to the cramped building he'd only just emerged from, but he couldn't let his legs stop and soak in the feeling. He pressed his feet faster, and instantly met the muddy ground face first.

He'd tripped? His thoughts instantly went to the idea that it was Yuri's doing, that he'd somehow figured out where the captain was headed and set a trap, but it wasn't until he twisted his body around to see what he tripped on that he knew those ideas were wrong.

Blood trickled through the mud, the pit pat rain diluting the red substance, but the evidence was clear. Periwinkle hair fanned out in several different directions and blue eyes stared at him as if they were wondering why he'd disrupted the body. The sickening wound that showed itself from the man's stomach caused a wave of nausea to rush through Flynn.

Cumore.

Flashing back to the moment he'd seen Yuri in the hall, the smell of blood that had filled his senses and had painted the room an imaginary shade of red suddenly connected in a sickening way.

Yuri had killed Cumore. Who else was Yuri willing to kill then? Estellise was a good answer. It showed that Yuri had no more remorse. He no longer cared what he did as long as his plans went unchanged.

It was a horrible realization to come to. Flynn felt dread spread though his body like a fire, but another thought weaseled its way into his skull.

He was going to be next if he didn't get up and move.

He scrambled desperately, moving his feet under him when the noise he dreaded to hear echoed through the air.

Yuri had opened the door… Yuri was right there now, directly behind Flynn.

The blonde moved wildly, hoping to cause enough distraction to get away, but there was no such luck.

The ruler swiped at the captain, Flynn catching the brunt of the attack. He felt pain explode in his chest just moments before it blended in with the rest of the agony. Was this it?

Was he going to die, just like Cumore?

Just a glance at the former captain made the blonde's world spin. He didn't want to end up like that, he didn't want to die!

He heard the blade whistle through the air, the metal singing out as it sailed towards its intended target; but it wouldn't reach its mark.

In a fully automated action, Flynn's sword blocked the metal swing, bringing them both into a deadlock against each other. The swords hardly moved against each other as the two tried to both hold their ground and make the finishing blow in the same strike.

"Why?" Flynn shouted out. The word left his mouth before he could even think about what he meant by it. Why what? Why did Yuri do all of these horrible things? Why was he so intent on drowning the world in the rain and blaming others as he did? Why was Yuri Lowell so unlike the Yuri from before? Regardless, as the stalemate continued in the slick rain that poured from heaven, Flynn buried his eyes into the rulers, who's were stone cold gray and only carried the emotion of hate that seemed to pulse out of his sight with every visible breath he took.

"Why what?" The dark haired man spat, "Why did I ruin your precious little world? I'd rather ask why'd you ruin mine! Everything was perfect Flynn, perfect! But you had to come here and destroy the only thing I have left in this world!"

"This world is screwed up, don't you see that? You killed them! You killed them all!" Flynn could still hear fighting of the rebellion in the background, making him unconsciously wonder how many of his comrades were still alive? His mind went to Raven, Judith and Rita, who'd all been on the front line in the assult... were they alright?

"This world is so much better then what it use to be!" The blind rage that came from the man's word's were frightening to Flynn.

"Better! You're world killed innocent people Yuri! Karol is dead because of your world!"

There seemed to be shock registered in the ruler's eyes. Genuine shock and a passive look that overcame him even in his anger, as if he was thinking back on something.

Flynn didn't let up,

"How about the rest of your old friends who are fighting on the front lines to get rid of this mess you call perfect!" Flynn felt anger burn through is skin for the first time. The numbing cold of the rain did little to him, and any pain he'd previously felt dissolved in the waking of this new fury. "Tell me about them Yuri, did you're world kill them too?"

Immediantly the dark haired swordsman's face turned grim. His expression changed to one that had no known name to place on it, and a darkness seeped out of his skin.

From what Flynn could see, Yuri didn't physcially change, but mentally, he did.

"No, no, no Flynn... you killed them. They're dead because of you." Yuri's voice started chanting, like a school ryhem, "They met their death because of yo-u, yo-u." His voice almost became a growl, something that was inhuman. The anger that pulsed from the dark haired man's eyes increased, and Flynn could hear something faint in the back of his skull.

It was like the vibrations from the ruler's skull were echoing inside of the captain's own.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

An icy fear replaced the fury that had been building inside the blonde's system. Something wasn't right... he needed to move. He needed to get out of there now. Whatever had snapped inside of Yuri's brain, the man was no longer capable of coming back.

It had felt like hours had passed, but only seconds had ticked by.

Using the power he had left, the blonde shoved his sword harshly towards the dark haired ruler, who seemed only slightly shocked at the sudden withdrawal of Flynn. The blonde dashed off, hearing Yuri making chase only seconds behind him.

Yuri was catching up, his sword carelessly flung over his shoulder as he charged forward.

The captain didn't know if he could move any faster. His muscles cried out in pain as he willed them faster. His brain was at a breaking point. His thoughts were no longer complicated; they consisted of short simple words that made his body work faster.

Run.

Run.

Keep running.

He tossed another look over his shoulder to see Yuri jumping towards him. Seconds passed and the collision of the ruler's body knocked the wind out of the blonde. He tumbled backwards, his world turning upside down and the two of them fell into one of the many ditches etched into the camp's earth.

They hit the ground hard, Flynn feeling the world shake. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt the world go black for a few moments. A small voice in his head told him to open his eyes, and as he did he spied Yuri making an attempt to stab him in the gut.

The sudden image of Cumore's lifeless body flashed through the blonde's mind, causing him to flinch out of the way. Yuri's sword schlunked into the mud beside the blonde.

Flynn knew if he stayed still, the dark haired man would have his sword back out and be making another attempt, he had to do something now. There was no more time for debate. He took in all of the aspects of the situation. Yuri was kneeling above him, his sword almost ready for another attempt at his stomach, and Flynn, himself, was on his back, his weapon in his hand. How long would it take to stab his former friend? A couple of seconds? Did he have that much time?

Better yet, could he bring himself to do it?

It felt like an eternity, but his unconscious mind knew the answer before his conscience one did.

With a swift movement, he stabbed his sword into the dark haired man's stomach, a slick, quick motion that caused Yuri to sputter.

Blue liquid splattered all over Flynn's torso and face. As soon as the blue hit his face, Flynn felt an unusual sense of warm. The chilling effects of the rain didn't seem to bother him any more; instead, it had the opposite effect. Warmth swarmed his body and with it a displaced feeling of calm.

Flynn's blue eyes stared into Yuri's gray ones as the ruler looked down at his wound and back into the blue eyes. With a cough, more blue liquid splattered out.

"Impressive."

The blonde jumped a bit at Yuri's sudden words. He wanted ask what the ruler meant, what was the cryptic message behind the word, but his voice refused to work.

"Very impressive... Flynn Scifo."

The captain was shocked. It was finally the first time the ruler had said the name without spitting it out as if it was vile. An acknowledgment of the person who had ended the dark haired man's life. The darkness from before was also vanishing.

No, vanishing wasn't the right word for it, leaving was. It was leaving, finding some other place to destroy, some other person to haunt because the battle here was over. The anger, the hate, the blank slate that Yuri was now though remained.

Tears stung the blonde's eyes. Suddenly, he wanted to go back in time, allow Yuri to finish him off. The pain the ruler was going through was visible, and Flynn wanted to take it all away. He wished he could apologize and make it all better. If he had to die for it, he'd be willing, just to get rid of the image in front of him.

Yuri seemed small. Usually the dark haired man's presence was huge. He made an impression no matter where he was, or what he was doing, but now he seemed so tiny.

He seemed so tired.

The warmth in Flynn's body continued to grow, and he began to feel light headed, but he was able to understand the ruler's next words clearly.

"It seems fitting that I'd die in this grave."

The blonde's eyes widened at the realization. He recalled Karol talking about digging in the dirt for unknown reasons, but he'd never pushed the issue.

Graves... mass graves.

If every camp had been digging, it would only take an order for Yuri to fill the ditches that had been dug. With the dawning realization, he noticed just how twisted the dark haired man had become, and tears poured from his eyes.

Was this how it was supposed to end? Somehow, if he was lucky, he'd find a way home and he'd just have to live through this all again?

Pain coursed through his veins at the thought of having to see Yuri like this again. Tired, small, exposed...

Instantly, Yuri's body gave out and fell on top of Flynn, but by then, the calming sensation that ran through Flynn had doubled and in a moment, the blonde recognized what was happening.

The blastia...

A blinding white light engulfed Flynn's vision and he felt a tug on his body. Within seconds, he was gone.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N-Indeed, it's an update... and it didn't take me a month or more to do it! Woo! I had some free time, so I decided to get the next one up since I was interested to see what everyone had to say. I did do some retyping of this section, so I hope it still makes sense. It always makes sense to me because I know about everything and such, so I hope the ideas came across okay. Just in case anyone was wondering, this isn't the last chapter, though there are only a few left till the end... then... I guess we'll all see what happens after that.

I've contemplated adding more to the ending then I already have, but no concrete ideas have surfaces, so it might just be left where it lies. It'll be a mystery until then I suppose.

Other then that, I just wanted to make a quick comment. Thanks to everyone who's commented so far, and to those of you who've been nice enough to add my story to your alerts. It's really reading those reviews and getting those alerts that makes writing this story worthwhile.

See you in the next chapter!  
Orangepotato


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Hold on, hold on..."

-Breaking Benjamin, Dance with the Devil

-0-0-0-0-0-

_Six Years Ago_

Flynn stared out his window, the evening commotion of the city greeting his ears, even from this far away. It was a pleasantly consistent sound. Compared to his work in the Knights, which was full of twists and turns, something continuing on a path of certainty was appreciated.

In his minds eye, the blonde examined all of the shops he knew were there. The tall buildings that scraped the sky and the people swimming around in the sea of toys, trinkets and groceries. He could see all of the hard working middle class men scooping up the necessary items for the week and carrying them on their broad shoulders, tanned by the sun, back to their houses that slumbered in the winding streets of the middle quarter.

There were only a few nobles to be seen down in the common man's area, the ones that were visible were only there to grab something, while most sent crisp looking butlers to grab what was necessary for survival. This included the best of all of the food on the carts, the finest wines for a party they'd be hosting over the week, and several cuts of meat that even the wealthiest of peasants couldn't readily afford. The butlers, usually middle class who enjoyed the pay the nobility gave rather than being in their company, would be as quick as their uniforms would allow.

Last, Flynn could see the lower quarter citizens. Most couldn't shop uptown, and would be down in their section, buying up the products offered. It would be the children that scattered through the crowds of the middle quarter, snatching items off the shelves. Tiny feet and dirty hands would run and hide under the cart, keeping a lookout for when the cashier was the most busy, then jump up, grab what they could, and then make themselves invisible in the crowd.

He'd witnessed all of this as he grew up, seeing the same pattern and becoming involved in the stealing process himself. Where he'd been and where he was now brought a smile to his face.

There was no way the blonde would have ever been in as much trouble if it hadn't been for his best friend. Yuri had a way of persuading people to do even the stupidest of things. Ever since they were young, the two of them had set off to do heroic deeds and thwart evil... even if that meant stealing food and running from the knights who gave chase.

Even when they were older and Flynn had a better sense of himself, Yuri was able to waltz into a room, announce his plan and eventually make the blonde agree to it. Flynn, to this day, told the dark haired man it had to be some form of brain washing, but Yuri would just smile and say, "Nah, you're just gullible."

The blonde haired knight closed the window and walked to his dresser. That had caused way to much thinking for this time of night. With a glance at the clock while he started changing into his pajamas, he noted it was just past midnight.

Instantly, weariness settled on him. His eyelids began to droop as he reran the course of events in his head.

Meeting after meeting throughout the morning, one of them quickly bringing up Yuri Lowell's capture by none other than Cumore; and while Flynn had had several comments to make about that particular event, he refrained, and more meetings followed. After than, he patrolled the streets, making his way to the lower quarter at one point to hear what had happened with Yuri more accurately, perhaps, than Cumore told it, and then went to another meeting.

It was a particularly draining day, not because he'd actually done something, but because he hadn't done anything at all.

It hadn't taken Flynn long after becoming a knight to understand why the government was the way it was... they never did anything. They sat around, talked about what would be a good thing to do, and then dismissed without actually doing what they'd talked about. They focused so much on debating topics and bring up anecdotal evidence than actually working on fixing the problem, that even if the knights themselves weren't corrupt, they wouldn't have anything to do anyways!

He sighed, dismissing the rest of the thoughts. There really wasn't a use in thinking about it at the moment.

Climbing into his bed, he flicked the lights off and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander to happier thoughts.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Flynn woke to the smell of burning wood. Blasita was the most common light source now a days, that the smell of smoke teased at his senses and brought him from his slumber. Amber light flickered on the walls as he sat up in bed, groggy.

"It's good to see you up Flynn Scifo."

The captain jumped at the voice, turning his had to face the commandant of the Knights, Alexei, who was standing next to the fireplace that accompanied the blonde's room, fire crackling on the wood inside.

Flynn didn't know what to say to that comment. He tossed his blue eyes over to the clock hanging on the wall, seeing that it was about two in the morning. While it had been an unusual greeting, the blonde had hoped for a second that he'd simply forgotten a meeting and Alexei had come to wake him. Apparently, that was not the case.

An intense fear settled in his stomach but he kept his face carefully blank.

"Commandant Alexei, what brings you here?" The words, 'at this time of night', hung on the blonde's lips, though he hoped it was implied.

The older man seemed to ponder this, staring into the fire.

The captain didn't know if he was suppose to press the issue or not. While he didn't necessarily like the man, he was the Commandant of the Imperial Knights, which meant he'd have to tread lightly.

When more time passed and no words had been exchanged, Flynn opened his mouth again to speak, "Perhaps you could explain your presence?" He hoped there wasn't to much venom in his statement. Flynn was, of course, unsettled by the strange and sudden appearance of the man and wished nothing more than for him to leave, but he didn't want it to appear that way.

Finally, Alexei spoke, "You heard that Yuri Lowell was captured, did you not?"

A cold chill passed over the blonde, but he hid it expertly.

"Yes, I had heard."

"There are several crimes for which he's been convicted and served time, but similarly, there are several crimes he's been convicted of and he's never paid the penalty for."

It seemed like an obvious start to a conversation about Yuri Lowell...

"As you know, " Alexei continued, "Our justice system strives on putting criminals in their place."

"Yes."

"Without such things, our society would fall down the path of disorder and ruin. A prosperous society runs on justice, order, truth and equality over all things."

While Flynn felt Alexei was the wrong person to be preaching such a thing since he worked so closely with the knights, he knew the man was right. Alexei had put numerous precautions into the system to help rid society of the corruption it was facing, yet the blonde couldn't help but notice that the man seemed fairly blind, or at least one sided, when it came to the disorder in the council and the knights.

The best way to describe it was a mixed signal. It was uncomfortable, at best, for the captain, to have a man he only half trusted talking to him in the middle of the night like this.

Alexei paused for a moment, like he was considering how to put delicately what he had to say next, "Yuri Lowell is a thorn in society's side."

The fire flickered menacingly.

All around, the atmosphere became ridged and a sense of foreboding crept in.

"What do you mean by that?" Flynn asked, fearing an answer. He hoped his voice didn't quiver like he felt his nerves doing.

"It's been far to long that he's run around unchecked. No matter what penalty we impose on him, he continues his streak of violence. He's had his chance," Alexei turned around, facing Flynn in a dramatic fashion. With the fire at his back, darkness consumed his face, causing a shiver to roll down the blonde's spine, "it's time he paid in full for his crimes."

The blonde wanted to ask what exactly he meant by it, even though he already knew.

"Commandant, Yuri Lowell has done nothing to deserve the death penalty."

"Countless crimes against the knights and the people. I'm pretty sure it's been a long time coming."

"You just said," Flynn spoke, getting out of bed even though he felt foolish standing there facing Alexei with pajama's on, "that this system is run by justice. Regardless of his crimes, while there are many of them, justice would never enforce his death. He's done nothing so wrong as to warrant that type of abrasive action."

"He's escaleted, anyone can see that." The tone of the commandant's voice didn't seem like he was arguing. It sounded as though he was countering Flynn's disagreement simply because of politics. He'd already made up his mind, Flynn decided, but that didn't mean the blonde was going to give up.

"The justice system doesn't operate preemptively."

"But if left alone, Yuri Lowell will sink to that level. Are you saying we wait until someone dies to put this criminal to death?"

"Are you saying we kill someone without them having committed the crime first?"

It was brash, butting heads with the commandant, but wrongful death was something the knights could never be allowed to do, especially with him in them. He'd known as a child of people who'd caused to many problems for the government that had disappeared in the middle of the night, but to be involved in it now was something he wouldn't stand for.

Whatever reason Alexei had told him this, it was his mistake. Flynn was never going to settle for something so heinous.

A long silence filled the room, the two of them staring each other down. The captain desperately wished he could see Alexei's face, but the darkness cast by the fire prevented that. He'd always known that the commandant wasn't as likely to change things with a majority against him, but he really couldn't believe the man that had inspired so many people would kill someone preemptively in the name of justice.

It was perhaps his own way of ensuring the safety of the city, but going down that road could only lead to trouble.

Plus, the blonde knew Yuri personally. Sure, the dark haired man hated authority more than anyone else the captain had ever met, but he wasn't the type of person to go around killing senselessly. He would never do something like that, so accusing him of it early based on the assumption he would murder someone in due time was folly.

"I knew you couldn't be reasoned with."

The blonde felt the frigid air freeze in his lungs.

Alexei continued without missing a beat, "So I came to you, on behalf of the betterment of society, with two options."

"What are you talking about?"

"Flynn Scifo, I will be bringing this to a vote tomorrow during one of our meetings. I suggest that you agree to the proposition and not object in an attempt to drill needless fantasies into other people's heads. If you don't, I'll have no choice but to take steps to prevent your appearance at the meeting tomorrow."

The blonde took a second to organize what was just said.

"Are you saying you'll kill me if I won't bend to your forced vote?" Saying it out loud made his blood freeze, but that seemed to be what Alexei was implying.

"Nothing so vulgar," the commandant responded, turning back to the fire for a moment, "but if there was some sort of accident in the lower quarter that required your attention, you wouldn't be able to attend."

Everything that Alexei was suggesting was illegal.

Surely he understood the sentencing he could receive from such a suggestion. Even the council, in it's devious nature, wouldn't allow something like this to happen... would they?

The thought struck Flynn then, and it apparently showed on his face because Alexei turned and smiled, "Think about it Mr. Scifo. I don't want anything unfortunate to happen, but for the sake of our glorious society, some things have to be sacrificed."

The council wouldn't care, Alexei had probably already spoken to them. Being as influential as he was and being as corrupt as the council was, the deal was sealed. Flynn was the only person in the way. Probably just as popular as Alexei, but not with the backing that the man had obtained in his years of service, the blonde was possibly the only one who could overturn votes in the council and among the many knights who'd be voting on the matter.

The commandant feared Flynn, and was making sure everything was going to go exactly as planned.

"You would be willing to sacrifice many lives in order to put on man down for a crime he hasn't yet committed?"

"It's a necessary sacrifice if it must come to it."

The captain wished he had some sort of device that could record their encounter at the moment, but there had never been a need for such a thing in his bedroom before. This was damning information. If he could release what he'd been told and get someone to believe him, that would be all it would take for an investigation. But investigating the Commandant would not come easily.

Since this would come down to a he said, she said trial, it would be frivolous to spend time on it unless someone important believed him.

Estellise...

She would believe him, that was for sure, but the question was whether the council would. The council had been wish washy on their choice for the throne from the beginning. It was doubtful that they would listen to her accusations without evidence. There was sure to be hesitance with a trial of someone so important without proof there was a crime.

Certainly if he and Estellise spoke of his threat and then it occurred...

The blonde grimaced at the thought. Whatever Alexei was threatening, it had to be something that would cause civilian causalities. If he was to tell the council what was threatened, would Alexei find out and not issue the assault? Would the council view the assault as a terrible convenience? Would they refuse to press charges without proof?

He supposed the real questions was: was it worth the sacrifice that was sure to occur if he didn't go through with the vote.

Flynn needed to think.

Alexei turned quietly, staring into the fire, though the captain could feel a presence on him, like the Commandant was watching with his mind's eye.

It seemed an impossible decision to make. One life for the lives of many. Was there a way the blonde could counter the attack? Perhaps station troops down in the Lower Quarter to repel any threat that came their way... any speculation on Alexei's plan was futile. The plan could range from a military assault to getting monsters inside the barrier to poisoning the only water supply in the Lower Quarter.

The blonde could think of many poisons that were lethal in only one dose, and the thought chilled his spine.

The older gentlemen was waiting for Flynn's reply, but in all honesty, he didn't have one. There was no way he could agree to such an outrageous proposal, yet he couldn't let innocent civilians come to harm under his watch.

There was no other way around it at the moment. Another glance at the clock told Flynn he had time. Time to formulate some other plan that could counter Alexei's vote and threat at the same time. Regardless, he only had a few hours and there was no way to make the Commandant leave without giving in, in a way. He grudgingly replied, "I need to think about this."

He hesitated to say 'think about this treasonous act', since there was no winning if Alexei remained in the room the rest of the night.

The elder turned from the fire and gave Flynn a hard look.

"So be it, I will return in the morning to escort you to the vote. I'll hear your answer then."

Flynn gave a bow as the man exited in a stiff fashion.

The blonde exhaled, feeling a tension rising in him as he quickly dressed in something more appropriate and shifted to his door. It was cool against his ear as he listened, hoping to hear silence. Unfortunately, Alexei's voice was still outside, speaking quietly to who Flynn would guess was a guard.

It only made sense... Alexei wouldn't want Flynn doing exactly what the he was planning on doing. He cursed silently and left the door, heading to the window. Alexei was through, he'd probably think of the window and get it guarded, but that would take a couple minutes to get organized.

Flynn thanked his lucky stars as he climbed over the window sill, lowering himself onto the roof that was a couple of feet below. Dropping with trained silence, he darted across the roof and to the edge, where he lowered himself once more, catching his feet on the edges of the brick siding and carefully picking his way down the wall to the ground.

With a couple of feet left to drop, Flynn let himself go, landing on the ground in silence, green leaves greeting him in hiding.

Listening intently for a couple of seconds before moving, Flynn kept close to the wall, staying low to remain hidden as long as possible.

After a couple of minutes, it was clear he was safe. He remained cautious, his training as a knight keeping his ears keen, as he searched the window that was surly open since it was such a nice night out. He was unfamiliar with where the rooms were in regards to the outside of the castle, but he quickly caught the scent of flowers coming from the open window on the second floor of the castle.

There were no roofs in the way of her window, just a flat wall which reminded Flynn of some popular play Estellise had shown him before, though he couldn't remember the title now.

He scaled the wall easily enough, hoping she wasn't sleeping. His cheeks burned at the thought and he quickly discarded the idea. Surly she'd be awake.

When Flynn was direclty under the window sill, he listened for a second, silence responding, so he hauled himself up the rest of the way, peeking in the window, feeling fairly deviant.

Estellise was inside, reading quietly against the glow of a candle. With her lights out, he assumed she'd probably been sleeping, but found herself tossing and turning. He tried not to imagine anything to terrible as he called quietly into the room.

The first time it seemed she hadn't heard him, so the captain tried again, this time getting a response.

She shifted a bit in the chair, brushing her hair from her face and glancing to the window. Her blue green eyes were curious and she moved in her chair a bit to get a better look at the window.

"Estellise," Flynn said, bringing his head over the sill a bit so she could see him.

She gasped then laughed a bit, "Flynn, what are you doing?"

"May I come in?"

"Sure, come on through the window," she settled a bookmark in her book and walked to the window, where Flynn was pulling himself up.

"I'm so sorry for the intrusion, and I do wish it was a more happy occasion, but I'm afraid I have some grave news and need some advice."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Estellise nodded solemnly, keeping her eyes down. To Flynn, it seemed like she was mulling over what he'd said in her head because, honestly, it was difficult to believe.

Alexei was a man of great power, but he was also a man of compassion. What he was suggesting about Yuri and the lower quarter was treasonous. It was hard to think that a man like him, one who'd done so many things for the country, would even utter the words he had.

Flynn waited though, letting Estellise come to her own conclusion. He hoped she'd believe him at the least, that way they could decide what needed to be done about it.

"Flynn," she commented, breaking the silence, "you do realize what you're saying?"

"Estellise, I'm fully aware of the conversation I had with Alexei. I wouldn't come in here to bother you with lies." The captain tried not to sound defensive. He knew the princess was only confirming everything, yet Flynn didn't want to waste time on the niceties.

"It's very hard to believe," she said, rising, "but I know I can trust you." She seemed like there was something else she wanted to say, but after a second of thought, she didn't bring it up. Instead, she turned and faced him, a grave acknowledgment on her face, "and since I trust you, I have no choice but to take this matter seriously."

"Thank you princess," Flynn stood, "and while your support is accepted, I still don't have a way to convince the council as long as I have no evidence."

"You could at least tell your story, couldn't you?"

"I've thought about it." Flynn paused for a moment, "Estellise, they would want proof before they believed an accusation like that and I'm afraid of what would happen if I plead with the council."

The light haired princess seemed to understand. She nodded again, probably having not thought about what would happen in all of the accusations were true and Alexei fulfilled his threat.

Silence settled between them for a moment. The room seemed to shift quietly, turning on itself as time ticked ever onwards towards the one moment Flynn wanted nothing to do with. There really wasn't anything else to do. He had nowhere to run.

Perhaps he could contact Yuri, warning about something after the vote passed? Surly Yuri would be alright with getting dragged out to dry if it meant protecting the Lower Quarter.

Yuri always talked about protecting others, and honestly, Flynn knew that his best friend would probably have already decided on the issue... but the idea of selling his own friend out? That was the point of his contention. Just because Yuri would already be on board with Alexei's plan, and no doubt attempting to figure a way out of it, it didn't mean the blonde could go around sacrificing him whenever it was needed.

If Yuri did get out of all of it, which was probably what would end up happening anyways, what happened the next time he got captured? Would Alexei come forth once more, making threats to the blonde, daring him to balance one life with the lives of thousands in the lower quarter?

It'd be an endless cycle...

"Flynn, perhaps you should go talk to Yuri?" Estellise probed. It seemed her thoughts had been along the same lines as Flynn's.

The captain sighed, "I would if I could. Sneaking around outside the castle was already dangerous... I can't imagine trying to get to the dungeon."

"I could go talk to Yuri. Alexei won't find it as odd if I'm traveling through the castle compared to you."

"Princess, that is far to dangerous."

"Flynn, you're a knight, the commandant might be able to harass you, but he wouldn't dare do that to a princess," she had a determined stare in her eyes, making Flynn remember why he'd always liked her expressions. They were always so filled to the brim with emotions and-

He shook his head to clear it. This was certainly not the time to go weak in the knees for her, "Estellise, I cannot guarantee your safety, and besides, what good will you do to get to him earlier than I can? All you can legally do is tell him what will be voted on tomorrow, and what are the stakes."

"Doesn't he deserve to know that much Flynn?"

"Of course he does, but princess, my duty as a knight is to protect you. I don't know if Alexei or one of of the many guards stationed around know I'm not in my room anymore. If they have that knowledge, anyone who knows that you and I have a friendly connection, it will be out of place for you to be wandering around at night."

"Then I'll go during your meeting."

Flynn heaved a sigh, exasperated, "your highness, that simply won't do. Not only is is dangerous, but it is also unfit." As much as the blonde didn't want to sound like a noble, it was true that it wasn't right for the princess, who had so much influence in the council and courts, to wade through inmates to get a message to Yuri. It was the reason Flynn rarely visited his friend in prison. To many rumors started when people of importance met with people of power. If one ignored the rumors as well, the presence of someone of power always caused a stir. With him, it was usually a bunch of lifted heads, constant questions and begging for a listening ear, while with Estellise...

The captain didn't even want to think about that. She had to much political power, and with her name being considered for the throne it was impossible to allow her to go.

He continued, "please, trust me. Yuri is going to have to wait. I will warn him about this and he will make it out alright, but I cannot go through with any of this if I don't know you're safe."

Flynn inwardly cringed as he thought about how that statement had sounded. While he had grudgingly admitted feelings for the princess, she certainly didn't need to know that. Thinking fast, he quickly fixed the statement, "we don't know what to expect from Alexei, so I can't trust he won't do something to you if worse comes to worst. Thank you for believing me, and certainly, if we can get more proof as to Alexei's threat, I'll need you behind me, but for the meantime, let me handle this."

The princess seemed conflicted. It was apparent she wanted to go and help Yuri but she was struggling with the truth of Flynn's previous statements.

"Estellise, please, trust me."

Silence once again, but this one was quickly shattered, "alright Flynn, I trust you."

-0-0-0-0-0-

By the time morning came, Flynn had managed to return to his room. He was exhausted, every nerve in his body shot as the tension of the moment continued to build. It had taken a long time to get around the guards, who had been out in double shifts. He'd ended up having to travel around the castle numerous times before he'd managed to climb onto the roof unseen.

He flopped himself on his bed just as a knock came at his door.

Half of the blonde wanted to pretend to be asleep, but that would be folly. The best thing he could do was pretend he'd gone to sleep and he was now refreshed from the night. While it was far from true, his best action was to get the vote over with and then quickly find a way to reach Yuri.

Another knock, followed by Alexei's voice, "Captain Scfio?"

"I'm awake," he called, hauling himself off the bed and to the door. He attempted to not drag his feet in the seemingly long travel to the wooden door that separated him from the rest of the world. Pulling on the crisp brass handle, the captain greeted Alexei with a salute and prayed he didn't seem to tired.

If the commandant suspected anything, he didn't voice it.

"The vote will be proceeding shortly, I came to escort you."

"Yes, thank you."

The two walked in silence, Flynn honestly wondering if he could go through with a guilty vote. He resigned himself to knowing Yuri would encourage the vote... what was important was letting Yuri know what was going to happen before the blinds could be pulled on the dark haired swordsman. Flynn's best friend was the master of escape, even in the most trying circumstances, so while a prick of worry echoed in the back of the captain's head, he knew, with enough warning, the swordsman would be fine.

Or at least, he told himself that.

The room they entered was the usual one these types of meetings took place in, but when Flynn stepped foot through the elaborate door, he was instantly intimidated. The walls seemed taller and brighter than before and the chandelier that hung from the top of the ceiling from a wire seemingly swayed in an nonexistent breeze just to seem more terrifying.

The long table that sat square in the middle of the room was the only thing that had actually changed. The previous wooden surface had been covered with a red cloth, it draping over the sides and cascading to the wooden floor. Every single chair was pulled out, the plush cushions housing the members of the knights and council who voted on such issues.

The captain was awed to see them all present. Usually the lines of work didn't allow for such a complete meeting. A tickle of uncertainty brushed against him, suggesting that Alexei had more power than he needed... given that there was no way someone could over rule the vote if the vote itself was unanimous amongst the group. There was no way to pinpoint unfairness except in the way of arm twisting, which Flynn was sure had been done; not that it would've been documented.

The blonde took his seat across from Cumore, a sneer face Flynn took no delight in seeing, and then laced his fingers together.

"Today, this will be different from our usual session. In our prison right now is a dangerous criminal by the name of Yuri Lowell, I know everyone has heard of him," Alexei gave a formal pause, then continued, "it has come to many people's attention that he is a menace to society and because of that, he has no place in our community. I think the leash of the law has been to far outstretched for this individual. The point of the courts is to lock criminals like him behind bars for the rest of their lives, and yet, Yuri Lowell always manages to either escape or get a reduced sentencing."

It was a long rant, Flynn knew, that most of the people at the tables had probably already heard when confronted by Alexei concerning the issue. Bored expressions ran rampant, and the captain did his best to keep a blank face.

The blonde was finding it difficult though. With each word uttered by Alexei, anger pulsed through Flynn's veins. It was already hard to agree to vote for something that was not only illegal, but down right insane, but listening to another discussion of how Yuri's life should end? He tightened his fingers together, attempting to look bored like the rest of the people.

"It can easily be agreed amongst all of us here that Yuri Lowell should be imprisoned, but I ask, why not just take that a step further? The crimes this man has committed mar our community at large, and slowly, he's become worse and worse. His first crimes were simple robberies as a child such as stealing food, but he's slowly progressed to a point where he's attacking tax collecting guards, terrorizing the upper class and using dirty glances as a reason for reaction. If he continues on this path, which he surly will, it is guaranteed that he will eventually go so far and commit the ultimate sin."

The room became silent. It was as if a buzz of people's minds being elsewhere had filled the void as Alexei hummed on and now, every eye and thought were on the commandant. It was punch line Flynn was sure everyone knew, but it was almost like an amazed wonder of whether Alexei was actually going to propose what everyone knew was on the table.

"Eventually, Yuri Lowell is going to murder someone. I know it. You know it. He knows it. Everyone knows it, and yet, we sit by, waiting for the body to fall. What if it was someone you knew? What if Yuri Lowell went so far as to murder someone here, in this very room, in some bloodthirsty way? The law would not be so soft on him then and yet, we're all waiting till he does it. We're waiting for the moment when the body hits the floor so we can cry guilty, but everyone, the damage will already be done."

Flynn felt anger burning at his skin. He desperately wanted to leave the room but he knew that wouldn't be wise. Alexei wasn't the man to get angry, that was for sure, so the blonde sat and waited, keeping his fingers clenched so that his knuckles were white. Trying to keep his breathing regular, he stared at the table cloth, the rich red only making him nauseous.

He had to admit, the commandant weaved a good story. Prevent the loss of life by killing someone who'll eventually turn into a murderer. It was defiantly a plead to the emotions of the people in the room as well as the logic. In some way, Flynn knew it made sense. Yuri was completely reckless, but not to a fault. If someone knew the swordsman better than anyone, it was defiantly the blonde. Yuri wasn't brash, and yet, his record only seemed to indicate otherwise.

Even so, that didn't mean the law could be used as a premeditated strike, and yet, Alexei weaves his words together in such a way that it seemed the law was supposed to protect the people that way. By ridding the world of evil before it has a chance to bury in it's roots, and the world would be a better place... if only that was true.

"I say we vote now for a sentencing of this criminal, of this murderer, for the protection of our country. I, Alexei, commandant of the Imperial Knights, hereby request a vote in favor of the death sentence of Yuri Lowell."

Almost immediately, like it was stages, an elder of the council stood and lifted his arm, "I too, vote in favor of the death sentence."

Then, one by one, people started rising and raising their hands, some voicing their opinions, others with their heads down, probably in the same boat as Flynn was. Not wanting to vote yes, but not given a choice. Eventually, every hand in the room was up except for Flynn's.

Fingers still laced tightly together, he tried hard to unbind them and to raise his hand towards the ceiling, but he couldn't.

Nothing in his will was okay with this. Would a warning to Yuri be enough? Just as he'd spoken with Estellise, it hardly mattered if Yuri escaped, if he was caught again, the same vote would take place, the same threats and the same result... and then what? Hope Yuri escaped that time too? How many times would he have to escape before they just shot him without a vote?

The law was also not made to punish people prematurely, and even by simply raising his hand, by acknowledging Alexei's vote, Flynn was crushing every single thing he believed the government stood for. While others could easily toss away their beliefs, the blonde was finding it difficult to raise his arm.

His thoughts raced and he felt himself becoming dizzy.

"What is your vote?" Cumore spoke.

Flynn took a deep breath. Alexei was here, meaning he couldn't pull anything on the Lower Quarter yet, but that didn't mean it wouldn't happen afterwords, but Flynn could be there then, right? He wouldn't be restrained to staying in the castle in a room to vote; but that also left Yuri open for any sort of retaliation Alexei had planned. Surly the commandant wasn't so foolish as to attempt to harm Yuri, but even that was in judgment for the blonde.

If he didn't vote yes, he'd be assuring harm on the people of the lower quarter for the sake of saving his friend, but in actuality, Yuri and the lower quarter were almost the same. When one was hurt, the other was as well, and both the people and Yuri had one thing in common: their stubbornness to doing what was right.

Of course, his original plan saved the lower quarter any harm for the moment and a message could be taken to Yuri in regards to what was going on... but that didn't mean something like this wouldn't happen again, that didn't mean that Yuri would actually escape and that didn't mean that Flynn's morals would ever be the same.

Choices... to many choices.

Slowly unbinding his fingers, he dragged them across the red table cloth and to the edge of the table, using the wooden surface to help raise him out of his chair. The group around him stared in wonder.

Flynn always asked himself what was the best possible outcome for all in regards to situations. As a knight, he had to look at things objectively and, even when the option seemed terrible, there was always a worse choice to be made. He's spent his teen hood learning the truth about the harsh world, discovering that sometimes the unpopular choice had to be made... and sometimes, the choice that went against everything the blonde believed was the most correct in a world where there was no black and white.

He brought himself up, staring at the crowd who seemed far to interested, and clenched his fists silently at the edge of the table.

Flynn had made his choice.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N-Yes! It is an update! First, I'd like to apologize for any errors that I didn't catch. I didn't necessarily do a complete read through of this chapter because I wanted to finally get it out and waiting any longer wasn't an option. Second, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm taking a creative writing class at college this semester and have to write short stories and poems(and I'm horrible at poetry) so I've been writing a lot of short stories... though I just learned my teacher doesn't mind me sending in fanfiction short stories, so you might see random short stories for Vesperia or something else if I finish some of the one's I've been working on since the start of the year. I've had this document pulled up for awhile now, using every free moment to type on it, and I'm glad it's done, though it's much shorter than I wanted it to be. That means though, that there'll be a second part to this chapter, followed by the 'last chapter'. Someone said something though, in a review, that has made me wonder if I'll expand a little bit past the last chapter, just to help tie up the story... but I think I'll wait till the next chapter's out before I worry to much about that.

Thanks so much for all of the reviews and for all of you who are reading this story! I'm also thankful for your patience, and with the school year winding down, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.


	15. Chapter 14

A/N- Just so there's no confusion when anyone crosses this phrase: A "Legal Omission" is a law term. It is a criminally punishable offense and the easiest way to explain it is-a failure to come to the aid of someone you are either related to or have care over in times of crisis. As in, you (a parent) see your child playing with a gun and you watch your child shoot and kill themselves on accident. Even though you had no hand in the tragedy, you can still be charged with the death because of a legal omission (failure to act(stop) your child, someone you care for, from playing with something that is potentially dangerous). This wouldn't be the same if you were a stranger watching a child do this. A stranger wouldn't be charged. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Fourteen

"I won't stay long, in this world so wrong."

-Breaking Benjamin

-0-0-0-0-0-

_Six Years Ago_

Flynn's fists were shaking as he stood there. Every single eye in the room was upon him, and even though thousands of words were flashing through the blonde's mind, he couldn't open his mouth to say anything.

How could he start a sentence he knew would ultimately damn him and his world?

"Captain Scifo," Alexei's cool voice smoothed over the crowd. It was odd how his voice whispered at Flynn's ear, almost as reassurance against better judgment; yet Flynn had made his decision.

Damn his world.

"I vote in opposition to capital punishment." His voice rang out strong. The entire room, silent, seemed to absorb the words. No one else spoke.

Flynn glanced at Alexei, who's calm exterior was only betrayed by the fiery anger that burned in his eyes. The blonde was unsure if anyone else would've noticed it. The Commandant was a master at hiding his emotions, yet as the very second of Flynn's opposition to the punishment reached his ears, the captain was almost certain he saw something terrible in the man's eyes. A fury that seethed forward for only one second, and then it was gone.

"What is the nature of your opposition?" Alexei questioned.

"To prematurely punish a criminal," Flynn spoke, carefully avoiding Yuri's name so protests about "connections" didn't come into play, "is illegal. Our government and justice system have not and should not administer punishment before a crime as been committed. It's easy to see where that power could be abused, and I'd hate for premature punishment to become the norm in our society. I believe we as a people are beyond this."

Cumore was the first to speak up, "The Commandant spoke about this already. If it makes the world a better place, than who are we, the servants of the people, to oppose such a task?"

The word "servant" made Flynn want to vomit. Cumore was hardly the person to say such a noble thing, but inside the conference, with people's votes to gain, this wasn't the place to be pointing fingers.

"What Alexei argues is intelligent, but what I argue is equally so. We, guardians of the people, cannot allow our justice system to be corrupted in such a way. We have no way of knowing which path each individual criminal will take, so by demanding a worsening criminal to be put to death when they have done nothing worthy of the ultimate punishment, we are starting down a slippery slope. Where do we draw the line?"

"This is nonsense," Cumore spat, "Nothing more than a friend trying to help common scum. You came from the lower quarter, you know Yuri Lowell personally, and you think you're being objective?"

A hum in the room began, people listening to Cumore more than Flynn. The blonde knew it was a stretch to be the only one to stand against Yuri Lowell being put to death, but he wasn't going to give up now.

He'd doomed the lower quarter, his only hope with that would be to get his troops down there as quickly as possible after the meeting was over, then, get himself over to Yuri. The vote, unless by some stroke of luck, was still going to be against him by the end of the meeting.

"I don't speak for Yuri Lowell," The captain spoke above the hum, "I speak for our society. I ask all of you in favor of this punishment, where do we draw the line for everyone else. If we apply this to one criminal, must it also be applied to everyone else? That is how our law is written!"

"It'll probably only occur in special circumstances," one of the elder council members spoke. His snow white beard brushed against his chest as he moved to exit the room.

Others were shifting as well, not being officially released, but, most of them not wanting to get involved in the dispute. Many of them were in the same boat Flynn was, forced to make a vote that was unpleasant; others simply didn't care.

"Then elder," Flynn stood on his chair, getting himself higher so everyone could see. The plush pillow under his feet wheezed as the blonde pointed a finger at the man who was leaving, "answer me this, what do you call 'special circumstances'?"

The man's wrinkled face squished in anger, "this is not the meeting where we discuss this."

"Then when? After the criminal is dead? After ten have been put to death? A hundred? When do you think it's appropriate to decide what prerequisites must be met in order for this improper representation of the law to be used? Where do you want the line drawn, elder?"

"That is no way to talk to someone of higher authority."

"Should we say anyone who's committed three major offenses? Are they a threat to society?"

"Listen here-" the man attempted, but Flynn, fueled by the justice in his heart and the anger in his veins, didn't even listen.

"Anyone who's committed a felony? Anyone who's done horrible actions? Anyone who's had devious thoughts!"

The entire room began to interject, until the blonde projected into the room,

"Are we all guilty of omissions then? Legal omissions since Cumore said it was our duty to care for the community!"

The room hushed.

"You know not where to draw the line, but if we're going to start somewhere we might as well start here," Flynn jabbed one of his gloved fingers towards the ground. "If we're ready to rid a person of his life prematurely for a crime he hasn't committed, then I wonder how many of us will be burning at the stakes tomorrow."

The blonde could see everyone's shocked face as he continued, his heart beating time into his chest.

"How many laws have we not passed that could have saved lives? Dozens, because we lack the funds, or the troops or we as a group believe that there is a better way to spend money than to spend it on internal defense. If we're going to make the leap and punish someone for something that they have yet to commit, we all better be ready for the repercussions because they're going to hit hard and we'll all feel it. It won't be a class or a status thing, it'll be an individual thing; and if everyone is alright with making rationalizations, then draw the line in the sand and start jumping over."

There was a dead silence in the room. No one moved, spoke or, it seemed, thought. It crept on for several minutes, until someone in the crowd, a younger member of the council, spoke up from the back.

"I agree with Flynn and I change my vote to opposition."

Another person, this time to the front, spoke similar words. Then, all at once, it seemed a flood gate opened and several others, rather for care of their own lives or belief in Flynn's words, rebutted their original votes and changed them.

The noise in the room quieted down, all eyes going back to Flynn. The blonde, a mix of emotions filling his body, stared coldly at Alexei and said,

"I call in favor of a recount."

-0-0-0-0-0-

As quickly as he could, Flynn maneuvered through the winding hallways and to the lower levels, where the dungeons were. It was dark, for that he was thankful. He didn't need anyone to be awake or for anyone to recognize him as he descended the stone steps into the dungeon.

Noiselessly, he opened the metal door that separated society from that of the prison life, and walked down the cobbled stone halls towards the cell he'd been informed belonged to his friend.

Flynn's thoughts escaped to the meeting that had occurred a little while ago. While many had joined in the blonde's decisions, the majority still rested on the other side of the fence, officially making ending the meeting.

The results were unsatisfactory, but not unexpected, and while he was glad of the support he'd received, he wasn't happy with the outcome.

Informing Yuri was the best thing to do now. After that, the blonde knew his friend would probably think of something and, Flynn, using the support of the other people in the meetings, would be able to fight against the action becoming some sort of law and prevent it being used again. It was just these next couple of hours that were making the captain nervous.

He found Yuri's cell with ease, settling in front of it. From the what he could make out, his friend was propped against the other wall, resting. Flynn debated waking him up or hoping he woke up himself, but rather quickly he didn't need to make the choice.

A shuffling in the cell informed him that Yuri was moving towards the front.

"Yuri, hello."

He could hear the surprise in his friend's voice, "Flynn?"

They carried a conversation for awhile, the entire time the blonde became more and more nervous. He knew he couldn't be caught down here, and he prayed he could get the information to Yuri before anything happened.

He tried not to sound tense about the situation, but that was difficult to do. He wasn't here to speak pleasantries to Yuri, but the blonde couldn't bring himself to say what he needed to say. The words kept getting latched onto the back of his throat and he shuffled uneasily. Perhaps his mind was waiting for the right time to say something so important? He certainly didn't want to have to repeat himself, but he knew he didn't have much time.

Yuri, catching on to the hesitation and tension in the air, spoke, "What's going on?"

Flynn jumped a little. He'd known it would've been stupid to come down for a conversation and not expect Yuri to notice something was wrong, but coming straight out with it was more difficult than trying to weasel it into a conversation.

"Yuri..." he attempted. The words failed him again and he felt frustration growing inside of his heart. He swallowed loudly, hoping he could just get the words out. "Yuri, you've-"

A loud cluck filled the halls and Flynn pivoted his head, seeing a guard standing in the doorway. The light from behind him created an ominous darkness around his face, sending shivers down the blonde's back.

"Captain Flynn... what are you doing here?"

"Flynn is visiting me," Yuri spoke. Flynn could see a coy smile on his friend's lips out of the corner of his eye.

"But why at this time of night?"

"Because he'd be swamped with pleas of escape if he came any earlier. Do you know how many people want out of jail?"

Almost like he could feel Yuri shoving him in the side, Flynn joined in on the lie, "Yes. I know it's against regulations, but a visit from a captain to the jails would probably cause a commotion. I should have informed a guard present, but I didn't want to be a bother," Flynn scratched his head sheepishly.

There was a beat of silence as the guard evaluated the lie, then he responded with, "Oh."

The man seemed uneasy with standing there now, as if he was worried he's stepped in on a private conversation. While Flynn knew it was true, he couldn't help but feel sort of sorry for the guard who was simply doing his job. Truthfully, Flynn always felt sort of sorry for anyone who got trapped in one of Yuri's "inventive conversations", as his friend put it.

The dark haired swordsman spoke up again, "Hey, you might want to go now... I'd hate to see the expressions on these prisoners faces if they had to be awoken in the middle of the night."

Flynn watched as the guard grew rigid and again felt sorry for him.

"Yes... well... Captain Scifo perhaps you should come with me," he paused for a second, "if you're done."

Not knowing what else to do, Flynn stood, his heart ramming his ribcage. He still needed to tell Yuri what was going on and yet, he was frozen on what to do next. The guard had clearly been sent to search for him, there wasn't a doubt about that, but what else could he do.

There was still time for him to sneak Yuri the message...

"Sorry for all the trouble," his friend commented, sarcasm lacing his words.

The captain smiled, the smile not reaching his blue eyes, "perhaps another time then?" He knew that he'd lost his chance. There was no way he could slip the warning into the conversation now. He felt a pain stabbing into his heart as he turned to leave. He'd have to think of another way to warn him, he'd simply have too.

Deep in his soul though, he knew there wasn't anymore time. It was finalized when Yuri, in regards to the captain's last statement, said, "Sure."

Flynn had lost his chance. It was over. Even so, he tried desperately to cover up the fact that was blaring in his mind. He didn't want to think about how he'd just condemned his best friend to death or how he was now going to sit back and watch it happen.

A pain much deeper than anything he'd ever confronted buried itself into his flesh, scarring his heart. The pain was eating away at him, but he allowed it.

Dread filled his limbs as he silently followed the guard. Something more terrible than anyone could have imagined was going to occur, and it was all Flynn's fault.

-0-0-0-0-0-

No matter how many times Flynn re watched the scene in his head, it didn't make the pain go away. No matter how much blame he placed on himself, he couldn't release the impossible agony he was going through.

He knew he was putting himself through it, there wasn't a way around that. Flynn didn't have any fantasies about the pain being erasable, and yet, he desperately sought a way out of the constant storm that burned his mind.

Perhaps to loath himself more, Flynn didn't cover up his hardships with drinking or drugs. He never attempted to escape the reality he'd let the world fall into.

A world without Yuri Lowell.

Estellise had dropped by earlier, eyes red from crying, even though a few weeks had passed since Yuri's murder. She'd spoken quietly about a book she was reading, some romance Flynn hadn't recognized, and rattled on and on for hours about nothing.

At least, it had seemed like nothing to Flynn. He hadn't been listening. Knowing Estellise the way he did, he was aware that she knew he wasn't listening, but just needed someone to talk to rather than someone to listen.

All of the doctors said he'd get over it. Not in such a direct way, but with constant reassurances that his days would get better and the pain would lessen.

While a part of him wanted that, he was also very conscious of the fact that he wanted nothing to do with healing.

Yuri was never going to get the chance to "heal", Flynn found that he didn't feel very deserving of it either. Sodia, among other people, had also visited him. Commenting on the day, speaking of reports she'd thought he'd read, and giving her brief condolences over what had happened.

He also ignored those people, feeling rude, but deep down not caring.

It wasn't until he was patrolling the castle and happened upon Cumore that he listened to someone.

"Hello Flynn," the man spoke. His words were light but Flynn could hear the same proposal on his lips that he'd carried since the day Yuri had been killed.

"What do you want Cumore that you'd bother me every day about it." His patience, already on the fritz, was wearing thin.

"It's the same as every day. I have to show you something. Something I think you and Alexei will be most pleased with."

Flynn hardly cared, but he was suddenly very tried of the avoidance game and instead spoke harshly, "Alright, I'll humor you, but please, don't waste my time or the Commandant will hear about it."

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of wasting your time with something-"

A stern glare from the blonde silenced the rival captain. Quickly, the two of them left the magnificent castle behind them and headed down the street a ways, to the royal part of the city.

Flynn barley paid attention to where the were going. His eyes, instead, traveled down to the middle quarter, where he imagined himself walking into his home section of the city. He hadn't been down there since Yuri's death and he wondered how everyone was. Honestly, the blonde didn't feel welcomed, though he knew that was hardly the case. No one in the lower quarter would know the truth of the entire ordeal. They would never blame Flynn for Yuri's death.

"Right here," Cumore spoke, bringing Flynn's attention to a gaudy mansion. Spires, arched windows and elaborate carvings all painted over with a seemingly fresh coat of white. It seemed far too innocent to belong to a man such as Cumore, but the captain didn't voice his opinion.

Flynn followed Cumore though the elegant glass doors and into a large foyer. Cumore was quick to close the heavy wooden doors that blocked the room from the rest of the house. It was as if the rival captain was worried someone would over hear their conversation, though Flynn knew Cumore lived alone. The blonde didn't believe he could imagine the type of person who'd be comfortable setting up camp in Cumore's extravagant house.

"What have you got to show me Cumore?" Flynn spoke.

"It's something I think you'll find very interesting Commander Scifo," Cumore's voice hummed. He seemed very pleased with himself.

A silence transcended the room for a moment, as if the rival captain was waiting for the anticipation to build up. Truthfully, Flynn simply wanted to get things over with.

"Spit it out Cumore, I don't have time for this."

"I think you're going to want to make time... frankly, I think it's something both you and I could show to Alexei to gain more approval."

The captain had to wonder if this really was just a long winded scheme Cumore had hatched up to get noticed. Even though Cumore's disdain of Alexei was evident, there wasn't a doubt in Flynn's mind that the rival captain was at least smart enough to know he needed to keep favor with the Commandant.

"I don't need approval, I need answers. What do you want to show me? Or should I leave now and tell the Commandant that what you had to show me was nothing of severe importance? I'm sure Alexei would love to know that you just wasted the second in command's valuable time when he was suppose to be doing more important things."

Half of that was a lie. Sure, Flynn had gotten a promotion from Alexei after Yuri's death. As Estellise had put sourly, "A good faith gift to the man who didn't attempt to stop the trial". It all didn't matter to Flynn anymore. Sure, he was now higher on the chain of command, his purpose for staying with the knights so long one step closer to being reached, but it seemed unfair that he had to use Yuri's death as a spring board to his next promotion. He wasn't busy though, but it's not like Flynn felt bad for lying to Cumore.

The statement had it's desired affect though. Cumore sputtered a little bit, acting like a child who'd been caught lying to his parents, and desperately trying to gain control of the situation again.

"N-no, I'm not wasting your time... it has to do with Yuri Lowell."

A stab. Flynn felt it, right into the very core of his being, an icy stab from a figurative blade. His insides squirmed at the mere thought of his friend and panic entered his brain. What did Cumore want to show that had to do with Yuri? Before his mind could go anywhere on that thought, the blond quickly closed it off.

No, he'd been down that road a thousand times. Every time he heard his friend's name, he felt hundreds of feelings he wasn't ready to feel yet. His brain always got overwhelmed and a panic attack would follow soon after. He wasn't about to do that in front of Cumore.

He couldn't continue to think it, he had to say it, for his sanity. He needed that physical aspect to keep control.

"He's dead." Flynn broke a tension he hadn't noticed. His voice, oddly cold and distant, even shocked him. Suddenly he wanted to take it back. He wanted to go down the road again where he'd feel, where he'd believe, just for an inconceivable second, that Yuri was alive and allow his carefully pieced together world to fall apart once again. Cumore didn't give him the time to do that though.

"Not as dead as you'd like to think."

Panic was forming inside the blonde's mind. Yuri wasn't dead? Yuri was alive? Curiosity almost got the best of him. It would've been nice if Flynn could have continued down that tantalizing path, but it he knew it would be the death of him if he tried. He couldn't continue tracing that road. Somewhere inside his mind, he got control of himself again.

"Are you somehow saying that you participated in a science that is forbidden?" His voice came out raw but even. Flynn was struggling to keep control, but he had to say his words carefully, evenly, otherwise his mind would tumble onto hope yet again.

"Never!"

Flynn couldn't believe that Yuri was alive...

"Then what is it you have to show me? How could anything deal with a man who is already dead?"

For the sake of the only sanity he had left...

"Well, I, he-"

Yuri could not live again.

"Spit it out!" Flynn practically screamed. Every single emotion he had left drained out of him as he shouted those words at the man before him.

A silence filled the room for a moment.

"I'm trying," Cumore whined, a pitiful sound compared to Flynn's thundering moment only a few seconds before. The blonde simply rolled his eyes.

"If you have nothing better to say, then I'm leaving." The captain turned to leave, swinging open the wooden doors and pacing into the hallway, Cumore following behind pathetically.

"No, listen! Please! I'm just having a hard time explaining it!"

"No, you listen. You drag me away from work and expect me to listen to you ramble about unrelated things. You really have nothing better to do than bother me, do you?" It was a rhetorical question. Flynn continued leaving again, but this time, when Cumore spoke up, the desperation was gone from his voice and a cold calm replaced it.

"So you don't care that this is about Yuri Lowell?"

"He's dead." Flynn spoke, attaching himself to the sureness his voice resounded with.

"What if I told you he wasn't?"

Flynn felt his world tilt again. There was a hope, a desperate feeling of hope building itself against his heart, but the blonde knew more than anyone that that hope would crush the beating organ if he let it. There was no reason to listen to Cumore. He was a lying manipulative bastard who played games to get what he wanted, and the captain was already so tired of playing games.

Everything had been drained once again. He felt nothing as he buried the hope Cumore's words brought once more. He couldn't listen to things like that anymore, and, just like everything, he needed it to go away. Flynn didn't want to feel anymore, he just wanted to be left in complete isolation and let his body slowly betray him.

Just as he was letting everything go, he clung to the words he said next with the rest of the energy he had,

"I still wouldn't care."

Cumore seemed completely shocked,

"W-what? You... you wouldn't care?"

"Yes. I wouldn't care," Flynn spoke, drawing on his last conviction, "Regardless of past friendships, he's dead," and so Cumore would possibly leave the blonde alone for the rest of his life, "and it was a long time coming."

A crash resounded in the hallway beside the elaborate doors. Flynn glanced over to the darkened stairwell that was engraved in the masterfully painted walls,

"What was that noise?"

"A vase... a vase fell over!" Cumore seemed panicked at the sound, but Flynn ceased to care. He let the obvious lie slip by.

"Well then, goodbye." Flynn turned on his heel and left the rest of the way. Cumore began to beg for him to come back inside but the blonde tuned him out. There was nothing more that that man could utter that Flynn wanted to hear.

A gust of wind tickled the blonde's hair across his face and then, a slow and steady rainfall began. It suited the mood and Flynn found that at the moment, he hardly cared. Let the rain fall onto him, through him, what did it matter any more? Eventually the rain would fall, harder and harder, and he'd be smashed into the pavement like he deserved.

Another foul wind blew, but all Flynn did to protect himself from it was pop up the collar of his coat and carry on.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N- I never expected this section of the story to go on this long. In the original version, there isn't even a section from Flynn's point of view six years ago. I wasn't going to add it but a friend of mine, who, in a way, proof read it, thought it would be a good idea to add it. I'm really enjoying writing it, but two chapters in and I'm still not done? Just so everyone knows, there'll be one more chapter from this section and then it'll be the (tentative) last chapter. I still have to go through it and edit it, rewrite some parts and work with the ending, so it's very possible thanks to a review I got, that'll the story will continue on for a couple more chapters afterwords. Only time will tell.

For anyone who still doesn't understand Legal Omission, here's the simple version of what Flynn said: Since Cumore said they were servants(in charge of, suppose to take care of) the people, Flynn was saying the entire council's inability to care for all of the citizens could be considered a crime (a legal omission) and that meant that every person in the room was guilty of at least one crime then. Add on all of the times they hadn't passed laws to aid the common man (constantly committing legal omissions) that meant that every single person in the room was, essentially, as guilty as Yuri was. Obviously, that's not true since a government can't be held legally liable for every person in the country, but it certainly got it's point across.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and I hope to get the next one out soon. Thanks again for all of the wonderful people who read my story as well as all of the wonderful people who take some time to review, you're comments always make me work harder towards completing the next chapter.

See you all again in the next chapter.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Say Goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight."

-Breaking Benjamin, Dance with the Devil

-0-0-0-0-0-

_Six years ago_

The sky had turned black by the time Flynn arrived at the castle. He was soaked to the bone, his clothes dripping water onto the marble floor. The sound of rain filled the entire castle. It echoed off the perfect white walls and resounded in his ears.

He wasn't in the mood for metaphors, so he shut his mind down, walking silently to his room.

It'd been tiring, having to remind himself over and over that Yuri was dead. It rang in his mind constantly, his continued outbursts that had struck deeper and deeper in his heart. The very last thing he wanted to do was think.

If he didn't think, he wouldn't be reminded of the present and every detail in his life would be ignorable. Unfortunately, he could only "not think" for so long. Even in his misery and despair, Flynn knew he had a job to do. There were plenty of people who were still alive that needed his attention. If he ignored the people he was hired to protect, he'd even loose his ability to look at himself in the mirror.

With a clack of his boots, he reached his door and swung it open. If he hadn't been paying attention, he would've missed the obvious. Even if he wasn't thinking, he was still paying attention, and an inconsistency in detail caught his attention.

He set his blue eyes on the window, which was open just a crack. When Flynn had left, it'd been closed.

The soft, cold wind blew in from outside, washing the room in the scent of rain. The trickles of wind tousled the blonde's hair for a moment before twirling to another section of the room.

With a measured step, he stepped into his room, laying his hand on the hilt of his sword. With his eyes, he scanned the room and saw that there was nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing mildly noteworthy was that something was scrawled on the legal pad Flynn always kept on his desk.

Deciding to let his guard down a bit, the blonde walked over to his desk, staring down at what had been written.

All it said, in plain black letters, was _Hello_.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"What could this mean?" Estellise asked, bringing a gloved hand to her mouth.

All Flynn could do was shake his head.

He stood, although improper, propped against the wall the princess was standing at. She watched as several knights examined the scene, taking notes and imprints. It was a mess in the blonde's room, where, after finding the note, he'd found the nearest guard and pointed it out.

While Flynn wasn't the kind of guy to panic, he felt very uneasy about the strange message. Getting the knights involved was merely a precaution. Meanwhile, thoughts and questions swirled in his mind.

He wished he could make more sense of it, but fatigue was gripping at him since he hadn't gotten any sleep for the night and he had already been avoiding sleep like the plague before this event.

Stifling a yawn, he straightened himself and approached the princess.

"Don't worry about it your highness, surely it's a ruse of some sort." He gave a smile, knowing she could tell he didn't believe it.

"Who would've done that?"

"I don't know," he commented. He wished he could say he'd fix the problem, but as it stood, there wasn't much of a problem that needed to be solved. Perhaps a lock on his window? Other than that, and possibly a fine for trespassing on private property, he knew there wasn't much in the way of a crime that had been committed. Resigned, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Princess, it's late, perhaps you should get back to bed?"

She shook her head, "No, I want to get to the bottom of this."

A crack of a smile hit Flynn's lips. He'd always liked her stubbornness, even when it was impractical. "Your Highness, I'm sorry but chances are nothing new will be discovered."

"I know, but I still want to stay." She gripped her hands in front of her. They were shaking and for one second, the blonde could see how tired she was. She was pretty good at disguising how she was feeling when it was really important, even when it came to Yuri's death, but now, after being shook to the core, Flynn got a glimpse of the woman behind the mask.

He noticed the darkness under her eyes, the way her shoulders were slumped and her breath hitched as she tried to stay calm... it was almost to much.

"Estellise," he spoke, grabbing her attention with his rare use of her name, "I promise I'll wake you if anything new is found, but please, get some sleep."

Whether she knew the blonde could see her fatigue or not, he didn't know, but she nodded her light colored head and walked to a guard, who gladly escorted her back to her room.

"Sir," a knight called.

The captain approached silently, glancing at what the guard was pointing too.

Rain water.

The liquid was on the left side of the desk and while time had passed, it was obvious to see that someone had been standing there for awhile.

"Water?"

"We think it came from whoever entered your room. They were obviously in a hurry. Even though they moved the notepad to the center of the desk, they stood on the left side of the desk."

"The furthest from the window," Flynn added, staring at the window that had been the entrance point, "let me see the paper again."

Already bagged, a guard passed the package that contained the letter to the blonde, who looked down at the handwriting.

It was simple, written out quickly and without much thought... or had there been a lot of thought.

"How long would it have taken to write this message?" Flynn questioned. Some knights glanced his way, considering the question. It was a high pitched knight, whom the captain suspected was a female though the uniform made it difficult to discern, answered.

"Only a couple of seconds. Even if the person took their time, it's four different letters, five total. Ten to twenty seconds at most."

"Yet," Flynn said, "look at the water left behind. Our intruder stood here awhile before or after the message for unknown reasons. They took excess time when they stood on the left side of the desk to write a message. It would have been easier to stand close to the window and snatch the notepad and write from there. The question is, why didn't they?"

The problem was now obvious. Why wait when they were so scared of being caught that they wouldn't even bother to stand in front of a desk to write, where most would stand?

Once again the high pitched knight responded, "Perhaps they were waiting for you?"

"If they had any bad intentions, wouldn't they wait somewhere I wouldn't see? Why leave the window open? That's what I noticed first. It put me instantly on edge."

A different knight answered, his voice deep, "Maybe they wanted you to see the window."

"Why?" Flynn countered. He wanted them to think. His mind was too tired and his thoughts skewed when he tried to draw lines, so he needed the people to answer his questions for him.

"Well," the guy said, "perhaps they wanted you to get on edge. If they knew you were coming in late, they probably figured you'd be tired. You wouldn't have noticed the message till morning."

The blonde nodded. That seemed to make sense, "Then why the wait on the message?"

There was a long silence as people contemplated what a person would wait for.

Thinking through what had been said as well as he could, Flynn tried to reach the answer. It hummed in the back of his mind, stood on the tip of his tongue and yet he couldn't put the last puzzle piece in. The answer was there, his foggy brain desperately trying to make him understand the vague messages that it was sending, just so he could, perhaps, know before it was too late.

The strong feeling that something bad was going to happen filled the blonde's limbs. It was stronger than the first time he'd had the foreboding feeling, back with Yuri in prison. It now scratched at his flesh, making unease fill his stomach.

Why would someone wait before or after writing such a simple message?

The answer came to him as one of the knights, the high pitched one from before, matched her words with his, creating a terrifying harmony in his brain.

"Perhaps he was trying to figure out what to say."

-0-0-0-0-

Days passed.

Each cycle of the sun and moon led to very little sleep for Yuri. During the day time hours, Cumore was gone from his gaudy house and the swordsman was left alone to his thoughts. To pass the time, he'd think about his plan, over and over, until it was perfect.

As evening started to fall, the familiar itching in his veins would begin and he'd have to remind himself that he couldn't do anything yet. He had to wait. Let Flynn sweat it out long enough that he dropped his guard.

It almost made Yuri laugh when he thought about how the blonde was probably sitting up at night, contemplating who would have left him that note. Truthfully, the dark haired swordsman had given considerable thought to what he wanted to write. While there were plenty of heated words in his veins, Yuri hadn't wanted to let his identity slip. The next time he saw the captain, the swordsman wanted to see the shock in his face.

To see the dread and horror fill the blue eyes he'd gotten to know over the years. Yeah, Yuri wanted to see how Flynn reacted to seeing a ghost, a blood red ghost.

Until the time was right though, he forced himself to walk the house. He'd already made circles in the plush carpet and scuffs on the dark wood in his restless shuffle. He knew that if he sat down, if he stopped, he'd drive himself more crazy than he already was.

Or, worse yet, he'd dash out the door recklessly, sword in hand, and be killed before he ever saw Flynn.

Flynn needed to see him. If it was the last thing Yuri did, it would be to have his former best friend see his face, just for a couple of seconds, to watch the realization. He'd imagined it, but he doubted it would be the same.

Now, with the night falling, the swordsman knew Cumore would be back soon.

He scowled in disgust. As much as he hated the knight, who seemed pretty convinced otherwise, Yuri knew he needed the man. Alone, he'd never make in into the palace. It was almost mandatory to have an army when one tried to take over a kingdom.

Even that thought didn't satisfy him much.

Dark boots pressed into the carpet of the living room, Yuri glanced around like he always did. Part of him wondered if he'd notice anything he hadn't before.

Most of what was on the walls weren't noteworthy. Portraits of the captain made up most of the pale white walls that peaked from behind rich boarders, but there were a couple beautiful landscape ones. Some of places the swordsman couldn't identify, some he could. It was a tiny bit fascinating to see the world he was familiar with frozen in one slot of time, but he quickly got over the feeling of awe.

Nothing new caught his eye and he moved to the next room. His boots clacked against the wooden hall as he crossed and saw a painting he hadn't seen before.

It was of Cumore, which wasn't surprising, but it was him as a child.

To Yuri's surprise, Cumore looked like a regular kid. There were some aspects that clearly belonged to the captain, such as the narrow eyes and broad forehead, but he had a smile on his face, his eyes bright as he stared at the artists. It was easy to see that the young Cumore was having a good time.

It really was a shock to the swordsman. He'd never imagined Cumore as normal looking, but he figured that the man hadn't actually been born with his freaky makeup on and his face stuck in a determined, albeit, scary glare.

He cocked an eyebrow at it and then continued on his stroll around the house.

Sadly, the stroll always began to bore him as night came closer. The familiar desire scratched at him and he struggled to keep his thoughts preoccupied long enough to ignore it. He desperately wanted blood on his hands. It was strange, the way his flesh burned for the touch of the life liquid. The slick feeling that would settle along his skin and between his fingers in such a way that'd make his body coil in on itself.

Like a snake, he chuckled at himself. He was so very like a snake...

To continue his thoughts, he turned and went up the stairs, brushing his fingers along the cool surface of the walls. The wooden steps creaked with his familiar weight, some of which he'd steadily been losing.

Stress did that to some people. Yuri didn't like to refer to it as stress, though. He liked to think of it as anticipation.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he glanced around, seeing the room he'd become accustom to living in these last couple of days. The door was ajar, just as he'd left it, and a steady breeze filtered through the crack.

He'd left the window open as well, letting the rain fall through the opening.

Even though he'd always hated the rain, he was finding that slowly, he was beginning to like it. It use to make him think of things drowning, bending backwards, so that they'd never stand straight again, and now, he viewed it as a cleansing.

The dirty world he'd grown up in, believed in and trusted; now he saw that everything and everyone were in need of a change.

Sighing, Yuri headed back down the steps, glancing towards the front door. He was expecting Cumore to walk in any minute, counting that it was time for the captain to head home. His job wasn't that difficult, in the dark haired man's mind, but he'd go along with whatever the man said as long as he'd done what Yuri had asked this morning.

Every little thing had to be perfect for the night. Just a slip of something small and everything could fall apart, unraveling like rope that'd lead to his noose.

Just then, as if on cue, the lock on the front door creaked and shifted. The decorated door swung open rather noiselessly and Cumore was standing there, looking as flustered as ever.

It certainly wasn't new seeing the man with dismay painted over his carefully placed makeup and Yuri fought the urge to gut the man now.

_You need him_

"Did you do what I asked?" The swordsman questioned, cutting to the chase. He didn't have the patience today to listen to the man whine for a few hours.

"Give me a second!" Cumore snapped, "it was just so frustrating at work today! The nerve of those people! They honestly think they're better than me..." He tossed his fancy coat inside, papers and files that accomplied it fluttered to the floor. The captain didn't even both to look at, what Yuri presumed, were probably important documents.

For just a second, Yuri felt a familiar tug of anger at his veins. If that was how every higher up acted with information stuff like that, it was no wonder the world was in trouble.

He tossed the thoughts aside, bringing his ears back to the captain who was still complaining as he tugged a scarf off his thin neck.

"I can't believe I ever got rid of all of my servants! What a mistake that was! Now I have to do everything myself. Opening doors, putting my things away..." The list went on, and from the looks of it, would continue to go on unless the swordsman interrupted.

"Cumore, did you get it done?" There was an authority in Yuri's voice, making the captain's head swivel.

He stammered, "Ah, yes. Yes of course I did, who do you think I am? If it's going to help get you and me in charge of this place, why would I delay?"

"The guards, then?"

"Paid and off for the night. I also spoke to the council. There won't be a fuse from them as long as they're not disturbed."

It was a good thing Cumore only knew a part of Yuri's plan. No one was going to be left out because of rank. Hell, the captain would go down by the dark haired man's sword eventually. Everything was based on a matter of time.

"Excuse me," The captain's voice rose above the swordsman's thoughts, "but when, exactly, is everything taking place? I have my unit ready whenever, but I was kind of hoping it'd be soon. I want to see the look on Alexei's face when we take over. To watch that man squirm... he's always thought he was better than me, and I'd like him to understand that he's not."

The man was pretty selfish, Yuri had to give him that. At least the swordsman wanted the betterment of the world, no matter the way it was achieved. Cumore just wanted to see the look on a man's face.

Not that the dark haired man could complain much, he couldn't wait for the thrill of seeing Flynn's face.

"It's happening at midnight tonight, Cumore." Yuri spoke calmly, though there was a harshness to his words.

Everything would change midnight, if he could wait that long.

"Really?" The captain spoke, "then I'll go inform my men! We'll be ready for the charge as soon as you are."

Yuri only nodded as the excited man walked off to another room. He greeted the silence though. It was preferred to the captain's obnoxious voice.

He settled himself onto a nearby sofa, sinking into the plush cushions. Closing his eyes, the world he'd create bubbled to life. He could see the land as it spread before him, slowly becoming untainted by a human's touch, monsters would roam freely, letting their meager life style shape the world they'd live in. Everyone else, though, would be gone. Gone off the face of the earth in a red drenched climax.

A shudder rolled through his body and he had to wrap his arms around his torso.

Suddenly, he was very cold.

Perhaps it was the way things were unfolding, slowly adding to his adrenaline, that made his body react the way it was. Maybe it was listening to the rain pit pat against the window, the water itself starting the transformation of the world, that made his skin crawl.

Regardless, the dark haired man knew that the time was coming up. Soon he'd get to face off against the blonde knight that had betrayed him.

_Flynn._

The name roamed inside his mind, and slowly, the one sylible word consumed him.

Yuri Lowell wouldn't be satisfied until the blood of Flynn Scifo was spilled.

Though the swordsman doubted that things would go awry, he knew, that if the rest of his carefully pieced together would shattered on the stone steps of the castle, his last breath being drawn, everything he'd started to live for in his "new" life would be complete so long as Flynn Scifo drew his last breath along side him.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The first sound probably wouldn't have bothered Flynn if he hadn't already been on edge.

Due to the mysterious note that had been left on his desk only a few days before, the blonde had gotten little sleep and had found himself in a constant state of paranoia. He'd kept up the tension inside his own body until Estellise had managed to pursuade him to take a nap.

"Even if it's a short nap," she's said, strain on her voice as well, "it'll be better for you than nothing at all."

Flynn found he couldn't help but finally give into her will. The fair haired princess, as the knight knew, had been tired herself, working with little sleep on several issues within the kingdom as well as dealing with one of her closest friends death's.

It had been when the blonde had finally convinced himself to lay down, his eyes closed but mind humming, that he'd heard it.

A sharp snap, as if something had collided with the side of the castle.

The structure didn't shudder and no other noise instantly followed, so it would've been believable that it had been something relativity minor or created by his own swirling thoughts. Flynn, however, felt his nerves jump from the edge his restless sleep, catapulting him back into his paranoia.

What if it was _something_?

He stood quickly, snatching up his sword and heading out of his room. He knew from the last few nights that he wouldn't even get a clear mind until he erased the paranoia that had surfaced.

Right as he stepped foot in the hall though, the paranoia gained momentum.

It was dead silent in the hall. Even the familiar clack of the guards shoes remained absent as the blonde walked down towards the throne room. The rain that pit patted against the window was the only sound that echoed eerily off the walls.

Walking down the hall some, Flynn reached a water-blurred window, glancing out city as the darkened rainfall continued. Just by look out, he could tell that most of the city appeared normal. The middle and lower quarters were mainly black, with the occasional building being outlined by flashes of lightning, but the noble quarter, from what he could see, was aglow with red.

For a moment, he wondered what it could be.

Then, in one terrible second, the realization occurred.

The noble quarter was on fire.

Panic consumed the blonde's system and he darted down the hallway. He didn't bother shouting out the danger of what was happening because by the time he had realized what was happening, several people were running through the halls, screaming for help.

It was a blur to him as he maneuvered through the vast hallways of the castle, finally reaching the outside.

The darkness of the night was being consumed by the burning flames and the rain, which had continued to fall in torrents before, were no match for the fire that burned through house after house. It was like watching a horror movie open up.

People were out in the streets, screaming for help, some crying, as their possessions and possibly the people they loved, burned in the flames. Several people were disoriented, unsure of how to respond to the crisis, while others still ran around, place to place, frantic for whatever help they could get.

Where were the night guards?

It was a question Flynn couldn't help but wonder as he descended the steps from the castle. How did a fire this huge go unnoticed for so long by the people that were suppose to be on duty?

By now, other knights were flowing from the castle, seemingly shocked at what was going on as well.

"Sir!" One knight called, coming over to Flynn as others scattered to aid in some way, "What's going on?"

"We don't have time to think about that now, please go find as many of the captain's as you can and inform them of what's happened. We need all available troops now!"

The man didn't even bother to confirm his orders, he dashed off to do as he was told.

Flynn clenched his fists and was about ready to head into the fray when he noticed more knights heading up the stairs from the middle quarter. Relief touched his system for only a moment before he realized what they were doing.

Knights, heavily armored and carrying swords, began plowing through the citizens that were panicking in the center of the noble quarter.

In one second, the cries of fear became the cries of death.

It took a moment for the blonde to recognize what was going on. The fire had been set to bring the people out into the middle of the noble quarter and now, they were being massacred.

"Stop it!" The blonde charged forward, drawing his weapon in one pull and clanging metal against one of the many enemy knights. Other Imperial Knights started defending the citizens, metal ringing against metal as they fought the men off. Others still were torn on what to do. The fire blazed out of control along the houses, creeping towards the middle quarter with each house it consumed, and hundreds more were fleeing into the streets before they had a chance to realize the dangers of what was before them.

Ignoring all of that, the blonde fought, hair matting to his forehead as he slew one of the knights, cutting his throat between the helmet and protective chest armor.

He didn't have time to rejoice, he threw himself into another battle, hacking away at an enemy knight.

The screams continued as the fire tore through it's path, sending more people to the slaughter house.

There were so many enemies, that, as Flynn chopped them down, more would seemingly sprout up. His muscles ached from strain and even though he willed his body to fight, he physically couldn't bring himself to maneuver as quickly or as sharply as normal.

A sword came crashing down on the blonde's arm. An acid pain shot through his system as he turned, arching his sword to meet his assailant in the neck. The tip of the sword met it's goal, a fresh line of red sliding off with the sword as Flynn killed his enemy.

He didn't get a joy from killing, but now didn't seem to be the time to spare his enemies. As more enemy knights swarmed in, the blonde knew that it was better for them to loose numbers instead of sustain.

Arm throbbing, Flynn moved himself away from the fighting for a moment, bringing his sword up to cast a healing spell.

"Sir!" A cry came and the captain broke his spell to eye the man who'd called his name.

The knight from earlier who'd been sent to find the higher ups, was bloodied and bruised. It seemed like the man shouldn't even be standing, yet he was before Flynn in only a second.

"Hold on, let me heal you," Flynn spoke, bringing his sword up to cast again. Worry jogged in his mind as he attempted to chant.

He was cut off by the knight, "Sir, please, listen to me. It's princess Estellise! She's-"

"The princess? What's happened?"

The man gave a horrid cough. He didn't even bother to hide the fact that blood had spewed from his lungs, "She's been taken hostage, Sir, by the leader! Hurry, you must hurry, the others..." He gurgled, spitting up more blood as he slowly sank to the ground, "in the throne room..."

With that, the man collapsed, a sickening thud echoing through the blonde's thoughts as the knight's head hit the ground.

Thousands of emotions played through his mind as he turned on his heel, leaving the ever impossible battle behind him as he dashed up the stairs to the palace, his feet sliding a few times on the wet surface.

Even as he distanced himself from the onslaught of death, he knew the fight was slowly enclosing the castle. Soon, the men would be held up in the castle and everyone in the city would fall victim to whoever had become crazy enough to attempt to take over the capital.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Here it is, Sir."

Yuri stared through the old doorway, down the creaky steps and into the vast darkness that waited at the bottom. The old walls, crusted and covered, stood erect at each side of the stairwell, making the pathway look more like a dungeon than anything else.

It certainly wasn't the most pleasant place, the swordsman noted to himself.

Of course, he wasn't here for a pleasant stroll either.

He nodded to the man and began down, not bothering to speak. The guard didn't follow, probably because he was a smart man, and the dark haired man listened to the creaks echo in the emptiness.

A dark chuckle filtered through the man's mind as he finally descended the stairs, glancing around once before letting his eyes settle on what was before him.

Beneath his feet, the swordsman could feel the pulse that shook the floor. His entire body felt the presence of the object in the room, his blood and nerves vibrating. Bones rattling beneath his skin, the swordsman stepped just a bit closer, letting his eyes examine the surface of what floated before him.

A rock life surface, with smooth patches and sharp edges, the blue object was rather large and floated in the air with relative ease.

Recalling the words he'd seen in several of the books Cumore used to decorate his house with, the swordsman didn't touch it, but rather, reached towards it, his fingers feeling the pulse of the object.

A blastia, rumored to have existed and been used during the Great War, that was large in structure and had amazing abilities due to the formula that functioned under the surface. The aer exchange rate was high, using a lot of aer but creating a lot in return. Conspiracy type events were associated with the object, such as people or things disappearing as well as a high level of activity from the blasita when no one was utilizing it. The creation was then banned, and, as it was rumored, only one was ever actually created and used for a small period of time before it's destruction.

Yuri smiled to himself, who would have guessed the Empire hung on to that too?

He walked around it, being careful to keep his distance. Not knowing what would actually happen when he touched it, the swordsman decided to stay on the safe side of things.

Not that it mattered, what he was going to do didn't require contact.

_You know what you must do now..._

There was no turning back.

Yuri sat on the ground, closing his eyes for a brief moment. His memories flashed before him, thoughts of people and places that were familiar but not tangible. Faces of people from the lower quarter, the view of different cities as time passed and thousands of millions of people lived their lives in eternal bliss. Peace was a word he'd use to describe it.

Everything in his life had once been at peace.

He sighed, opening his eyes. That wasn't going to happen again. Things weren't going to return to their peaceful nature. He'd forever been altered and now, he was about to forever alter the world.

Truthfully, he felt sorry for the people who'd never wronged him. Perhaps, in a different world, they wouldn't deserve the cleansing that was about to occur. Of course, those were simplistic times and simplistic measures, and now, things were increasingly complex.

It was unfortunate, but nothing could be stopped now. He had something he had to accomplish, and that meant dealing everyone a fair deck.

He chuckled along side the dark voice that echoed inside the confines of his mind.

How ironic. He was being fair while life, in and of itself, was always and cleverly unfair.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The halls were quite as Flynn traversed them. The noises from the outside didn't penetrate the pure white walls of the castle, but the silence only put the blonde more on edge.

He had no idea what was going on. He felt like he was drowning in the chaos that was slowly overtaking the empire and now, he could only hold on for dear life till the end.

Sword out and at the ready, the blonde kept close to the walls of the castle, hoping his skills would stay sharp despite the weariness and craziness of his mind. If he could remained focused, he could take anything down. He knew he had the capabilities as a knight to fight off several foes at once, even if he was by himself. He was also skilled in using a sword and improvising. On top of that, he knew how to handle hostage situations... not that Estellise was unskilled either.

He trusted that she would be safe when he arrived. Any other alternative was shoved out of his mind as he reached a corner and turned to look down the perpendicular hall.

It was then that he heard a soft clicking against the floor.

Every single muscle tensed in the blonde's body and he tightened his grip on his sword.

It could be an enemy, it could be an alley. For all the blonde knew, it was his imagination. He put a clamp on his nerves and waited around the corner, peering over ever so often to see if he could make out what was coming down the hall.

Soon the thing emerged.

Flynn made out the head first, and by the time he recognized what it was, the lean body was making its way out of the darkness as well.

Repede, dark blue fur scruffy but clean, walked cautiously towards the blonde, as if he'd known the man was there and had wanted to make his presence known.

Sitting, the dog and Yuri's former companion, stared into the blonde's blue eyes, waiting.

Deciding against moving carefully, the knight walked over to the dog, scratching his head for a moment. He didn't say anything, but the dog seemed to understand what he'd possibly ask if he could speak.

The blonde got the idea that Repede was possibly saying, "I'm here to help."

He smiled at the dog, who stood now, ignoring the hand that was still on his head. Then, Repede pointed his nose in the direction he'd just come, signaling that that was the way they needed to go.

Flynn nodded and gripped his sword again. Some people wouldn't trust the dog because he lacked the natural human instinct, but the blonde had been around this dog for awhile, becoming friends with him when he'd visited Yuri in the lower quarter after he'd been transferred back to the capital from his previous destination.

The blue dog was far more intelligent than a human sometimes. He'd heard stories from Yuri about the dog doing all sorts of things to get him and his friends out of trouble in the past, and made no short note about how smart his dog actually was.

A small smile came to the blonde's face. To think, back when they'd first become knights, Yuri had hated watching after the small mutt.

It was a sad realization that Repede was probably very aware that the man who'd hated him, then liked him and raised him was now no longer part of this world.

Without another thought, Flynn walked forward. He needed his thoughts clear. Now wasn't the time to get emotional, now was the time to save Estellise and hopefully figure out a way to save the capital.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Upon returning to the audience chamber, Yuri was a little startled to see the princess.

He'd ordered some of the knights to fetch her before the assault on the capital began, but he didn't think they were competent enough to get it done so quickly.

Stepping lightly upon the marble floor, he proceeded towards the fair haired girl, who sat on the cool steps leading to the throne. Shockingly, she didn't even look up when he'd walked in. She remained absolutely focused on the floor, like she was waiting for something to grow there.

He wanted to call out but decided against it. It'd ruin the surprise if he disrupted her now.

It wasn't until he was closer, when some of the knights stiffed beside the princess, that she moved her blue green eyes away from the floor.

She was relatively in tact, more or less, for having been forcibly dragged to the chamber. Her white dress was in disarray and seemed looser than normal. In a strange way that the ruler couldn't place, she seemed smaller and more fragile.

At least, physically she seemed that way. When her eyes locked onto him, that first moment there was resounding determination.

After, it shifted, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She blinked awkwardly for a few seconds, like her mind was catching up with her vision.

"Hello princess." Yuri said, his tenor voice echoing off the white walls. It seemed like it bounced around, filling the empty space with noise.

Noise that began to hum, at least inside the dark haired man's own mind.

It was then, after his words had permeated the silence, that her blue green eyes widened at the realization that this was real. That all of this was actually happening.

She put a gloved hand to her mouth, her shoulders tensing. She gently shook her head, "No, that's not possible..." She sounded so tiny.

Yuri couldn't blame her, her entire world had been shattered. She was staring at man who was supposed to be dead, yet here he was, in the flesh.

It bothered him though, that she denied it even though she was seeing it.

_That shouldn't come as a surprise... _the dark voice inside the man's mind chuckled. It swirled around, placing pinpoint claws on the inside of his skull, _Seeing as she did nothing to help you either._

He shook his head and closed the distance between the two of them.

Looking down at the fair haired princess, he could tell she still didn't believe it. Truthfully, there was probably nothing in the world that would make her understand what was going on until he explained.

Did he even want to explain?

_Why don't you just kill her. That "friend" of yours has a fondness for her... What would he think if he came to rescue the princess only to find her dead?_

The thought was striking, yet not his own.

He felt a small anger begin to bubble forth. Something terrible filled his veins and suddenly, he had an urge to kill Estelle. He wanted to watch her suffer. Not only because she hadn't helped him but because she was near and dear to the damn knight who could have stopped the whole thing.

Before he could rationalize it, he swung his fist out, striking the healer across the face.

She hadn't even seen it coming.

She fell to the ground, head landing painfully on the marble stairs she was occupying.

He wanted to kick her. He wanted destroy every single thing about her. Rip her, piece by piece, and throw all of it into a huge pile where he'd bury Flynn. Then, he'd burn it. He'd watch the red embers dance though the air, catching each disgusting, diseased piece and destroying it.

He could just imagine the smell. Similar to what was outside, what permeated the air just a few feet from the gaudy windows of the throne room.

Mid thought, Estelle sat up, apparently disoriented but not dissuaded.

"Yuri," her voice was horse when she spoke the word. The name almost sounded foreign in the way she said it, "you did all of this, didn't you?"

"Did all of what, princess?"

"The fires, the note... you left that. Why?" She turned and looked at him, tears staining her cheeks and pooling in her blue green eyes. The shock was gone though and replaced with determination.

Smirking down at the familiar face, Yuri responded, "You really have to ask? That's a bit pathetic, don't you think? Didn't your charming knight put all of the pieces together?"

She seemed confused for a second, then it dawned on her, "Charming knight? You mean Fly-"

A thundering echo filled the air.

Both Yuri and Estelle turned to face where the noise had come from.

The doors to the throne room had been forced open, exposing the long dark hallway and two figures standing square in the center of the opening.

"Flynn, we were just talking about you."

All he could do was smirk as he watched his former friend's face take in the scene.

God how he loved it. The moment he'd been waiting for and he wasn't disappointed. Now everything was going to change and it was all going to start with Flynn Scifo.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Flynn stared, wide eyed, at the man in front of him.

Noting could have prepared him for what his blue eyes fell on. Physically, he recoiled, taking a step back into the hallway. Blinking fruiously, he tried to deny what his mind was telling him he was seeing.

In front of him was none other than his best friend. A man he'd known since childhood, a man he'd grown up with, fought with, confided in and trusted.

A man who was supposed to be dead.

"Yuri?" His voice echoed harshly through the silent halls, the dark haired man before him giving a low chuckle at the name.

"How good it is to see you, Flynn."

_This isn't happening._

The chaos outside, which had been filling the air, almost vanished from it. The blonde became absorbed in the world Yuri was slowly weaving. He watched his best friend as he strolled forward a bit, something odd in his step.

"Yuri, how are you alive?" The words almost sounded accusatory, the blonde spitting them. However, what he felt was a mix of horror, relief and confusion. It wasn't possible for Yuri to have lived, he'd watched his own friend be beheaded! He'd mourned for a man who wasn't even dead!

Yuri gave another chuckle, placing a hand on his hip, "Now that would be telling."

There was something sinister in his gray eyes. Something evil swarmed underneath them, it's constant coiling almost visible to the knight.

"What are you talking about?"

"Now really isn't the time for games, Flynn." He spat the name, as if he'd tasted something disgusting, "Draw your weapon."

Hesitating, he watched his best friend pull out his long blade, the metal reflecting off the light in the room.

Shaking his head, Flynn replied, "I don't understand. Yuri, what are you doing?"

Without a word, the dark haired man charged the blonde, swinging his blade down hard.

Instinct kicked in, the knight dodging swiftly while unsheathing his own blade. One quick swipe, and metal sang against metal. The two stared each other down, Flynn horrified to see the desire to kill in his friend's eyes.

"Yuri, what is wrong with you?" He pushed back on the blade, making the other falter back. Swinging in for the opening, another clang of metal sounded.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Flynn. In fact, I'm better than ever!"

Another clash of metal and the two were darting back and forth between strikes. Each time Flynn charged forward, intent to limit his friend's movements, his attacks were deflected. Yuri would then make an attempt to strike in the opening, causing the blonde to dodge.

The entire world felt like it was moving in slow motion.

Flynn's mind still denied what was going on. He couldn't be fight against dead man, it simply wasn't possible, and yet...

With a twirl, the blonde slammed his sword down on Yuri's breaking the man's defense.

_It reminds me of when we were young..._

Without hesitation, Flynn swung at the opening, missing by mere inches as the dark haired man dodged with a flip, landing a few feet back.

_We'd always fight..._

In a flash, Yuri was upon the knight again, bringing his knee up to the man's gut before he could block. The air flew from the blonde's lungs, his entire body hitching before a silver blade glinted in the light. It swung down on him as he staggered back, hitting him in the shoulder with a sickening slice.

_But once it was all over..._

Pain engulfed his senses. Stumbling to the ground, he faintly heard Estellise give out a startled cry. It was quickly silenced with a retort from Yuri, who was advancing slowly towards the blonde. His blade was leveled at Flynn, his eyes dancing with a crazed happiness. Trying to move, but failing, he almost watched as Yuri raised the blade, a sickening smirk on his lips,

"Rot in Hell, Flynn!"

_But once it was all over... we were still best friends._

Blood spewed through the hall, the red liquid splattering to the ground in abstract designs. Pools of it flowed on the ground, quickly filling in the grooves of the tiles. The pure white had been stained, and as a sickeningly loud _thunk _filled the startled silence, what had happened became clear.

Flynn stared, wide eyed and pale face covered in crimson, at the dog that laid several feet to his left. The blue body gave a few small huffs, deep gash riding from his shoulder down to his stomach. The blonde could only stare, tears stinging his eyes, as he watched heard Repede give one low whine before all of its movements ceased.

Dead silence filled the air.

It was like the world had frozen over, even time stopping its perpetual tumble forward. The knight could only hitch in breath after breath as he stared at the dog that had not only been his compaion, but Yuri's as well.

The dog that had so willingly followed him into the throne room.

The dog that had jumped in the way of Yuri's sword for the sake of saving Flynn.

The dog that was now lying dead on the ground.

The sharp clatter of a sword hitting the tile filled the blonde's ears, jolting his blue eyes away from Repede's still form. Instead, the rested on Yuri, who was staring at the blue dog. His eyes were wide, tears rolling down his face as he struggled to make words form.

Finally, he chocked out a sob and he sucked in a breath, taking a step forward.

"Repede?"

_Had he even noticed that Repede was here?_ Flynn's mind absently wondered as he watched the dark haired man took another step forward, but then physically recoiled, his charcoal colored eyes resting on the wound that had been inflicted.

His voice was shaking and strained when it came out again, "Repede? Get up boy." There was something close to hysteria in his voice, almost like his brain was overloaded.

Something in the blonde's mind told him to move. It was a quite voice, but with each probing from Yuri, the voice grew louder. It resounded in his skull, nearly making him flinch. The strong urge to grab Estellise and leave struck him, but his body moved too late.

An almost inhuman growl escaped the dark haired man's lips. He snapped his head over to Flynn, eyes crazed and wide. His whisper was vile, "Look what you made me do."

Flynn jolted back, his wound protesting.

Yuri nearly screamed, his voice ripping through the silence, "Look what you made me do!"

In a quick movement, he darted back, hand snatching up his blade and swinging it down on the defenseless blonde.

Giving a cry of pain, Flynn shifted back, trying to avoided the assault that rained down on him. Strike after strike pierced his skin, the sharp blade drawing blood up in arks with each swing in the blade. It splattered around, the smell permeating the air as the blonde desperately tried to protect himself from the onslaught.

It was too much, however, the wounds inflicted far too serious after several hits, for him to do anything but take the attack.

Yuri continued screaming the same thing, over and over, the words blending into the background as the world grew fuzzy around Flynn.

Was he even sitting anymore?

Hell, was he even alive anymore?

At some point, he liked to think that Estellise attempted to save him, only to be struck as well. Absently, he hoped that she'd be alright. He prayed that Yuri would at least spare her.

Pain lapsed into serene calm, his body no longer feeling the drilling of the blade as it shattered his bones. He couldn't feel the blood that seeped from his body or the way the sword cut into his flesh, pulling chucks out at a time...

"Look what you made me do, look what you made me do!"

The words faded from Flynn's mind.

He realized that he was still watching the scene occurring. Yuri, mouth moving silently and tears streaming down his face, lashed out again and again. The thing that had been coiling beneath his eyes now rushed forward, a terrible anger on his features.

An anger Flynn couldn't understand.

Everything lost its color, the black and white slowly blending together to a final darkness.

It was over. Everything was. He simply prayed that Yuri would be helped somehow, that he could at least be stopped...

_Yuri wouldn't want this._

Whatever was going through the dark haired man's mind, he wouldn't really want it. If anything, the blonde prayed that his best friend would be saved from whatever festered inside his mind.

_Yuri..._

And with that, Flynn closed his eyes.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'm not dead! It took me a long time (what, six months?) to get this chapter worked out. The next one is coming along here shortly since all I have to do is edit it and post.

Also, a very special "thank you" goes out to Rei-Yuancat for constantly reminding me about Repede. It really added a lot to the story to add him in here, so I'm glad that continued to ask about him. Thanks again. :)

My final farewells will be in the next chapter, so for everyone who reads this: enjoy.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Dance with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin

-0-0-0-0-0-

Warmth that couldn't be described fell all over Flynn's body. The feeling it gave his skin felt familiar, yet far away. The feeling was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember what it was that he was thinking of. His brain crawled to the recesses of his mind to try and find an answer, but nothing showed up.

It felt good, however, and the captain reveled in the feeling. It was like warmth pricking his skin ever so lightly, yet no pain came from the sensation. Bliss was all that he could use to describe what he felt, but even that word seemed vague and incorrect. Regardless, the blonde enjoyed the warmth that spread throughout his limbs, knowing that the feeling was something that he hadn't felt in so long.

Through his closed eyes, he could see shades of yellows and reds dance across his eyelids, and to his ears, he heard the slight rush of wind, and the ringing of chimes in the far off distance. Muted shouts could be made out from the voices of nature, but the shouts weren't angry or scared, they were an emotion Flynn could no longer name, but he felt content nonetheless. All of his feelings felt in prime condition. They were picking up things he didn't remember existed, like the song of birds or the giggles of children...

Where was he?

The question began to tug on his mind as his skin heated up. He began feeling uncomfortably hot, and a stifled fear roused within him. The captain wanted to open his eyes and see where he was, identify all of the noises that now plagued his thoughts, but another side of him wanted to stay ignorant. He was content for the first time in what felt like years, yet he wanted to jump up and attack the nearest sound of merriment?

The prickling sensation of heat draped his skin like a blanket, and another question begged his unsettled mind.

Where was Scarlet?

The very thought of the name made Flynn jump.

He bolted up, his eyes shooting open, and it was then that another rush of wind caught his skin.

The feeling was cool, and it smoothed itself across his fiery flesh. It whistled in his ear and ran its fingers through the blonde's fuzzy hair. Overall, it was relaxing, and allowed the captain to observe his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in a muddy ditch. He was laying in a bed, the white blankets that covered him in a scattered mess. His bed sat in the corner of the room, with a simple dresser sitting in the other. Across from the bed was a mirror, the blonde's disgruntled reflection in it. Flynn took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. His blonde hair stuck up and out of his head in all directions, and his weary blue eyes seemed a bit duller than usual.

His usually tan skin took on a much paler shade, and his face seemed much thinner than he remembered. At first glace, Flynn wasn't sure if it was even him in the reflection of the mirror.

Part of him wanted to believe that it was a painting of some sort, or a stranger staring into the mirror in Flynn's stead.

Regardless of the tempting thoughts of it being someone else, the captain knew it was foolish to convince himself of the ridicules notion.

White walls surrounded him, none of them covered with any decorations. To Flynn, the room looked rather tasteless, but it was the splash of color next to him that really caught his eye.

A white sill sat near the bed, frames that held glass pushed open to face the outside. Brilliant blue sat in the sky. The captain hadn't seen a color that fresh in a long time, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. As well as blue, he saw greens and browns, whites and reds, colors even he couldn't find the names for, all splashed outside in an array of shades.

Yet, even that didn't amount to the feeling he got when he saw the orb that glowed a dazzling red orange in the sky. It's warm rays hit his skin, causing him to heat up again, but this time he didn't mind it. The feeling warmed his brain enough to remember its name... the sun.

He was looking at the sun, something he hadn't seen in such a long time.

Some part of him wanted to cry, another wanted to sit in shock, but for some reason, Flynn knew nothing he did would help with the feelings appearing inside of him.

He was back home.

He had to be.

With a rush, the blonde jumped up from his bed, tossing the already scrabbled mess of blankets he had to the floor. Nothing was going to stop his exploration of the castle. A big part of him didn't even want to believe he was back home, away from the depressing state he'd been shoved into.

He ran out of his door, making sure to shut it appropriately, but with haste. He then made a mad dash down the hall; towards the one room he wanted, no, needed, to see first.

On his way, he passed several guards, who gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything.

They merely saluted him with strange expressions played out on their faces. Flynn swore he head murmurs about a captain going crazy as he made the last few steps to Estellise's room.

The door was the same as he remembered. A plain white door scarcely decorated with the imprint of leaves along the outside. The brass doorknob stared at him as he readied his hand above it.

What did he think he was going to find?

A chill ran down his spine at the memory of Estellise's head gawking at him, but he shoved the thought away. The blonde could not be distracted by those thoughts now. With a final gulp, he quickly turned the knob and swung open the door.

What he saw shocked him.

Estellise was standing in the middle of the room, practically naked save for the towel wrapped around her torso. Her pink hair was wet and hung in her face in strands, and several maids, some of whom held a dress, stared at him.

It took a few moments for everything to register in Flynn's mind, and even then he found himself staying and staring.

"Flynn..." Estellise spoke, her voice a whisper.

Her voice snapped the blonde to his senses, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry..." He began closing the door, but felt that his apology wasn't very formal, and it hardly qualified as a way to apologize to a princess, so he opened the door again, "I mean to say, I'm sorry to intrude-" he bowed swiftly, his forehead hitting the doorknob, "Ow!"

He gripped his head in pain as he muttered a few words under his breath, "I-I'm sorry!"

The captain went to close the door, but found himself falling to the floor instead.

"Flynn!" Estellise had charged the poor blonde and tackled him to the ground.

A whoosh escaped the captain's lungs as he found the pink-headed princess on top of him. She had him embraced in a fierce hug, "Flynn! You're awake! I'm so happy!"

The blonde pushed down his blush and struggled to pull himself and Estellise into a sitting position. Once they were both upright, he returned the hug the princess so willingly given.

"Estellise, it's so good to see you!" He squeezed her tightly before letting go.

"Flynn! I was so worried when I heard you had fainted..." She buried her face in his chest, and the captain found himself fighting the heat in his cheeks off again.

"Fainted?" He questioned, hoping to keep his mind distracted. A part of him was confused, the other part was to swamped in happiness to even care, but he knew he needed to take the opportunity to figure out what had happened, "I fainted?"

Blue green eyes stared up at him, "You don't remember? That's a bad sign." She placed her hand on his forehead dramatically, gently bumping the already forming bruise.

The blonde flinched at the contact.

"Oh, Flynn, did that bruise come from some sort of concussion? Maybe you shouldn't even be up, I should heal you then get some doctors in here-" During her rant, she'd put her hand onto Flynn's cheek, keeping it there while looking in his eyes.

The captain easily stopped her rant when he placed his hand on hers, "No Estellise, I'm alright, I didn't get that from fainting." He gave a sigh when he saw the princess's unsure expression, "Princess, I got it when I bowed my head for my rude entrance. It wasn't my place to simply barge in while you were changing..."

As soon as he mentioned those words, he wished he could have taken them away, because it caused a reaction in both of them to look down as if assessing the situation and much to Flynn's horror and hidden happiness, Estellise's towel had become misplaced during her tackling.

A blush rose across both of their faces, and Flynn could see the pink haired girl's expression nicely. It was a mix between embarrassment and shock.

They both sat there for a moment, unsure what to do, when Estellise suddenly hopped off Flynn and dashed over to her towel.

Flynn politely dismissed his eyes from her in her mad dash, and instead, pulled himself out of the room. With a solid clunk, he shut the plain wooden door and slid down into a sitting position, his head in his knees.

Honestly, he didn't know what emotion he was feeling. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to charge back into the room and hug the princess, to hug her and kiss her and express his love for her, but another part of the blonde held him in place. Memories were threatening his brain, and a small bit in his brain wanted to recall the vacant expression Estellise's face had carried when her head had been removed from her body.

Flynn felt a shiver rack his body as the thoughts flooded back. He tried to fight it, he really did, but he became overwhelmed, and his heart began to hurt. Why had everything happened to him? What was the purpose? He had been to hell and now he was back; back to a time where nothing was wrong, and everything around him was sunshine and rainbows. Why had he been the only one to suffer?

He looked at his body. None of the wounds he'd received marred his flesh, but the captain could still feel the pain the wounds had once caused him. He cradled himself as his mind fought the onslaught of pain. Squeezing his eyes shut, the blonde desperately tried to stop his body from shaking, but nothing helped.

Falling back, that's what he was doing. He was falling back to the horrible time, and there was nothing he could do. Hardly any part of his body tried to resist the memories, the pain, the emotional baggage he'd started carrying around. Every stab, every fear wrenching moment he could replay perfectly in his head.

So he was back to his normal time, but nothing could bring his shocked mind back too?

Hot tears streamed his face as he circled his arms around his legs and buried his face deeper into his knees, willing that the floor would consume him and never have to face anything or anyone again. Why did it hurt so much? Why did the pain plague him so? He had escaped. He was back from the abyss, but every thought dredged up from his mind brought back a fresh wave of pain into his body.

His body convulsed as sobs racked their way through his lungs. He took in shallow breaths and tried to regain himself, but nothing was working anymore. He was spiraling downwards, just as Scarlet would have wanted...

Scarlet.

Scarlet is Yuri Lowell.

Before another wave of dread could fill the blonde's head, a hand on his shoulder jolted him from his thought. He gave a small gasp as he looked up into steel gray eyes. His heart almost leapt out of his throat in fear and happiness, but his facial expression must have confused the dark haired man above him.

"Flynn?"

The blonde shook all the thoughts that could have swarmed him mind away, "Yuri... it's good to see you." His voice came out fairly monotone, but truthfully, he didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to jump up and cry, hugging his best friend, or was he supposed to slap the swordsman across the face? Luckily, Yuri responded before the blonde would have to say anything else,

"It's good to see you too Flynn, but man... you look like hell." The dark haired man squatted down next to the captain. "What's with the crying?"

He motioned towards Flynn's face, and the blonde instantly rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. It was embarrassing to be caught in such a moment of weakness, and the blonde wanted to say something about it, but when he opened his mouth to speak, a sob came out instead of words, and Flynn began crying harder.

"Hey, calm down..."

Flynn was sure if he was looking at the dark haired man's face, he'd have a look of confusion on. Dealing with people during their emotional breakdowns wasn't Yuri Lowell's specialty.

Another wave of sobs later, the captain managed to squeak out, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this." He kept his blue eyes squeezed shut, but he felt a reassuring hand rubbing his back,

"It's okay, Flynn. We grew up together; I've seen you cry more than once." Yuri's voice didn't' exactly shower the blonde in confidence, but he had a point.

Getting his act together, Flynn took a deep breath, trying to force himself to settle down, "It's just been a stressful day is all."

The captain was sure he was getting a strange look from his friend, but he decided to ignore it.

With a sigh, he leaned his head against the wooden door, and everything was quite for a while. Outside, he could hear the birds chirping and the breeze wheezing on its way. Oddly enough, Flynn was jealous of the free birds and wind. He was stuck in the castle, trapped inside his mind while everything in the world moved out in beautiful freedom. The blonde scrunched up his eyebrows at this and got a chuckle from his friend in response.

"You know, Flynn," Yuri said, fully sitting down beside his friend, "you always made the most elaborate facial expressions."

Flynn gave the dark haired man a look, but allowed his friend to continue,

"When we were young, I remember watching you as you fell asleep, and I would try to guess what you were dreaming by what look you had on your face. It was funny when I'd guess a type of dream, and the next day, you'd tell me about the same type of dream you had had the night before." He gave a smile, "it was also funny when I'd see you talking to some noble, always being your polite self, but the look on your face screamed defiance. In a strange way, it makes me proud."

"I'm not your child, Yuri," Flynn commented.

"What, you don't want compliments?"

The blonde laughed, "Oh compliment away, I don't care, you just don't have to tell me all of my positive attributes whenever I'm sad." He smiled when Yuri gave him a hard look,

"Fine then, I'll kick you lower into the dirt. I hate your hair color, you look awful for someone who has been unconscious for days, and you carry the faint aroma of flowery body wash."

Flynn laughed, but found himself blushing at the last comment. He faked a cough to hide his face, hopefully before his friend noticed anything. "Why thank you, Yuri..."

"Don't go thanking me for making fun of you." Yuri said pointedly.

"Geez," remarked the blonde, "there is no pleasing you. You don't like it when I turn your compliments down and you don't like it when I thank you for your insults."

That got a laugh from the dark haired man, "Flynn, you are a piece of work."

They sat in silence then, adsorbing the quietness around them. The blonde kept his eyes trained on the floor, unsure of what emotions would arise if he looked at his friend.

Part of him wanted to explain his experience, telling his friend everything that had happened and get some sort of reassurance that Yuri would never do anything like that, but the other half wanted to keep it bottled up inside. The captain could easily say that his experience was not a normal one. He couldn't explain the giant rock that had floated in the basement, and he couldn't start to explain how real the situation felt. Even now, the blonde could feel the wounds jagging through his body, but physically, he appeared fit.

He couldn't explain it. People would blow it off as a dream of some sort, and the rock? They'd probably explain its absence with illogical conclusions like it was stolen, or that it never existed.

So really, there was no real way for Flynn to explain why he couldn't look in his friend's eyes. As wrong as it sounded, the blonde was scared of Yuri's stare.

No matter how the captain tried to reason with it, the gaze of those steel gray eyes caused shivers to course down his spine.

Flynn knew he'd have to deal with it someday. There was no way he could go through the rest of his life ignoring his best friend. Frankly, though, the captain was too drained to deal with any more stress at the moment, so he let the thought slide.

"What happened then?"

The blonde's frazzled nerves jumped at Yuri's sudden question. When Flynn received a strange look from his friend, he scratched the back of his head in apology.

"What happened with what?"

"You know..." Yuri spoke, his eyes shifting towards the door and back.

For a moment, Flynn didn't catch on. He was certain his friend was asking about the floating rock, but blushed a bit when he finally caught on to what Yuri was implying.

"Y-Yuri! How dare you imply that Estellise and I were-" He couldn't make himself finish the statement. He blushed more when his friend simply shrugged it off,

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"Well, I wasn't implying something as horrid as I'm sure your mind came up with."

"How do you know what my imagination holds?" Yuri gave Flynn a look,

"It probably has to do with the fact that you've told me about thoughts you've had." Flynn gave the dark haired man a sly look, but Yuri shrugged,

"I rated those down for you."

The blonde's mouth fell open, "so you're saying that your imagination is worse than even what I thought? Then that means I don't even have the first guess of what you were thinking!"

"Possibly." The swordsman smirked, "but I was just going off the clues."

"What clues?" It really wasn't a question, it was a daring statement. Flynn glared at his friend, momentarily forgetting the slight fear he held for the steely gaze.

"I already told you... you smell like flowers."

Flynn's mouth dropped open, and he sat for a couple of minutes like that. Instantly, the blonde sniffed the sleeve of his shirt, and sure enough, the very faint scent of flowery body wash sat on his clothes. The captain wasn't even sure how Yuri had smelt it, but it was an obvious indication. He suddenly felt the need to defend himself,

"I just walked in when she had just finished taking a shower, alright?"

"What happened to the great Flynn Scifo knocking?" The swordsman mocked, "You bust in on purpose?"

Blushing at the comment, the blonde interjected, "No! I was simply happy to be up, and my joy overtook my reasoning."

"Nothing overtakes your reasoning, Flynn."

"Joy does!" It was a lame excuse and the blonde knew it. He could tell Yuri was winning the argument; it was obvious to the dark haired man too, because he couldn't stop smirking.

The captain needed to think of a change in topic, "Wait!" Flynn called, an idea popping into his head, "Why do you know what I smell like?"

"You're assuming I do." Yuri added coolly. "I just noticed an unmanly scent. That unmanly scent just happened to be Estelle's body wash smell."

"So you're saying you know what Estellise smells like?" Flynn gave a look of feigned horror.

The dark haired man glared, "When you travel a lot, you learn people's smells. I can honestly say that Judy smells like blueberries and pie, and Rita smells like new shoes."

Flynn gave his friend a raised eyebrow, "so you travel a lot and learn people's smells, but you can't list any of the male party member's smells?"

"Don't set to high of standards for me. I don't go around smelling people you know."

The blonde laughed. The sound of his voice floated like a melody down the hall way and out the many open windows. Honestly, he couldn't stop himself from laughing... this was the Yuri Lowell he'd met as a kid. Smart mouthed, sarcastic, back talking man who didn't let anyone talk him down. It didn't even feel real.

He half expected to wake up and find himself back in the muddy world he'd arrived from. He half expected to feel raindrops fall against his cheeks, and roar of thunder in his ears, anything!

But only the birds hummed along to his laughing, and no rain could be felt.

"Flynn, you okay?" The dark haired man asked. He gave his friend a concerned look.

The captain supposed his dark headed friend was probably highly worried now. It wasn't normal for the usually calm, reserved Flynn Scifo to be laughing like a mad man on the floor. Normal would have been a steady stare and an even toned voice, but there was nothing in the blonde's mind that sung a tune that close.

Suddenly, he was off the floor and grabbing Yuri up by the arms. He danced in circles, around and around, swinging his friend as they skidded across the floor. His laughing continued as they waltzed across the halls, the people outside hearing joyous laughter from the propped open windows.

Flynn could hear murmurs within his head, and a small voice telling him that this was inappropriate, but the rest of his mind went along with the dance.

Yuri snickered as well, but in a confused sort of way. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm happy and sad, laughing and crying with no idea why!" The blonde shouted, still twirling in the dance. He could feel the warm breeze through his short spikes and the hot sun on his tan skin. "Everything's been different since I woke up. I've been feeling things anew, and I'm seeing the world through different eyes."

He didn't mind telling his friend that the eyes he was viewing from were now covered in mud and blood. His new vision was tainted with reality, and there was no way to ignore it anymore.

"Sounds interesting enough?" The swordsman tried. He pulled them to a stop and propped a hand on one hip, "you sure you didn't hit your head when you fainted? I don't know if I trust Sodia on her recount of the incident-"

Flynn cut the dark haired man off, "Sodia is a trustworthy source." He gave his friend a stern look, "and speaking of Sodia, where is she? I haven't seen her at all since I woke up."

"Flynn, there are a lot of people you haven't seen since you woke up... Take Rita for instance, or Raven, Judy or Karol."

A rush of wind left the blonde as he fought down the memories once again. When were they going to leave him alone? He was sick and tired of being threatened to the edge and back every time a wisp of smoke brought the memories home. It wasn't until he felt himself in a warm embrace that he noticed something was off.

"Flynn?" Yuri questioned.

It was even stranger when his friend continued talking,

"What about Karol? He's off doing guild missions... what's gotten into you?"

Arms wrapped around him ever so gently, the blonde noticed he was in a hug with his friend.

Flynn's white shirt was tight against his arms as they were wrapped around the dark haired man's torso. Hot tears ran down the captain's face and he kept muttered Karol's name.

Straightening himself, he dried his eyes a bit. "I'm sorry, I'm doing that a lot to you today, aren't I?"

"Doing what?"

"Crying in front of you. I know it makes you feel awkward."

"More than you can imagine."

"What's that mean?" Flynn asked.

"What's what mean? All I said is you crying makes me feel awkward."

"No," the blonde pointed out, "I said that, you added more by implying-"

"Ah-ha, so you admit I was implying, and anything you're reading in this conversation is a work of your imagination." Yuri put on his usual face, and cocked an eyebrow to his friend.

The blonde's temper flared a bit, but he let it out in a hiss of air. "Yuri, you never tell me anything. You always make me guess when it comes to your personal life."

"It's more fun that way. Besides, you never tell me anything, either."

Flynn could hear the fun in the dark haired man's voice, but he could have sworn he heard a sense of knowing in it. It was almost like the swordsman knew the nature of what Flynn was hiding, but didn't say anything out loud.

But the tone remained light hearted, and when Yuri smiled, the blonde found himself wondering if he'd just imagined it in the first place. "Well," he commented after a couple moments of comfortable silence between them, "I'm going to go find Sodia."

The captain turned when Yuri chuckled, "and after you find that stick in the ass, you're going to go after Estelle again, right?"

Flynn blushed wildly, but tried to hide it behind a cough, "Y-Yuri, I've told you it's nothing like that!"

"Yeah, yeah, you've told me... but you also don't tell me anything."

And there it was again, the same knowing voice. The tone the screamed 'I know what you're hiding' but it was slight, only a hint in it in the dark haired man's otherwise sarcastic comment. And Flynn found himself wondering if he'd even heard it at all.

Yuri watched his blonde headed friend go.

The brightly colored spikes bobbed up and down, and the slightest breeze ruffled the captain's clothing.

These things didn't go unnoticed by the swordsman simply because of the state Flynn had been in for the last couple of days. The dark haired man found himself thinking back to the moment he'd heard Flynn had fainted in the basement.

A moment of terror had constricted his chest, but he hadn't let it show. He never let it show.

Three days he watched his friend day in and day out, as he just lay on the bed, eyes closed.

The doctors of Aspio had been called in, along with Rita, to try and figure out a reason for the development, but no conclusion was reached. The doctors had begun worrying about the captain's health. Him being in a state of immobilization, he couldn't eat or drink, and was become malnourished... there was nothing the experts could do.

Estelle would often join Yuri, even with other pressing matters at hand, and they'd sit together and worry.

It was about all they could do. Healing artes had no effect, and neither did recover spells. Anything used seemed to bubble around him and simply dissipate. Poof, right into midair, a common day magic trick.

It had pained Yuri to watch his best friend in such a distressing state, but what stressed him more now was Flynn's current state. Unstable and random, nothing like the Flynn Scifo the dark haired man was use to.

Something was off, that much was certain, but he doubted he would find out through his friend.

Flynn carried the same nasty habit the swordsman did, not saying when things were taxing the most.

The swordsman scoffed, and turned his attention to the hallway. He halfway wondered if he should go get a first hand account from the orange haired knight, even if she did hold a hate for him in her heart. She'd probably be willing to share if it came to Flynn's safety.

He was about to seek her out, intent on taking his time meandering through the castle, when the sound of a door opening in close proximity made him jump.

Estelle marched out of her room, her signature pink and white dress adorning her body. Her hair was a bit longer than he remembered, and she seemed a bit more tired, even with the rejuvenating shower Flynn had talked about.

He supposed that was what happened when a friend got sick. Dropping everything else came first.

"Hey Estelle," he spoke.

He saw her eyes light up, "Yuri! Have you seen Flynn? He's up and walking now!" She chimed. "He just dropped by my room a few minutes ago." The dark haired man noticed she failed to mention the embarrassing event that had taken place between her and the captain. He didn't pry though, it was no fun prying the girl who'd withdraw into an embarrassed shell.

"Yeah, I met up with Flynn a couple of minutes ago too. He said he had something to do, so I let him run off." He gave a dismissive wave, as if pushing the subject along, "and how are you? Feeling better?"

"A bit." She admitted, "It was nice to sleep. Thanks for making me Yuri." She smiled, and Yuri found it kind of cute,

"It's okay. I was about to pry you away from Flynn somehow. At least you gave in the non-violent way."

She gave a laugh, "well, I was tired. How about you Yuri, did you get any sleep?"

The dark haired man tilted his head to one side, "not yet. I do plan on it though."

"When?" She planted her fists on her hips and gave her usual pout, "it's not good. You've been up for three or four days straight, you must be so tired!"

It was Yuri's turn to laugh, "I'll be fine. I'm going to check on a few things, and then I'll head to bed, I promise."

It almost seemed like the princess was going to continue pouting, so the swordsman put his hand on her slim shoulder, "Listen Estelle, I'll be fine. Have you ever seen anything take down the great Yuri Lowell?" The pink haired female's face didn't change from the sisterly look of concern, and Yuri sighed inwardly, "Alright, I'll head to the lower quarter now."

Her face lightened, but held a slight look of suspicion. "Do you promise?"

"Promise."

"Swear?"

"Promise and swear."

"You mean it?"

"Jeez Estelle, I mean it, I really do, and I swear and promise to the life in me." He grinned as Estelle pursed her lips in anger, but the dark haired man knew it was above the princess to be really upset. "I promise."

Raising his right hand and crossing his heart with his left, he did a mock salute.

The giggle from the princess was all he needed, "Just be careful, alright?"

Yuri knew her concern for others was well intended, but it was a bit stressing, "I will."

"And get yourself some sleep. No gallivanting around... straight to your room."

A grin spread across the dark haired man's face at Estelle's use of motherly words, "alright."

She looked him up and down a couple of times, as if she'd be able to determine his honestly by his body language. When she gave a satisfied nod, Yuri knew he was in the clear.

Watching the princess bob down the hall, Yuri couldn't help but let his mind travel back to his earlier thoughts.

It wasn't like him to trap himself in his mind. He wasn't one to moan and cry over the problems he'd run into over life, but this was sticking to him, something he'd always inwardly feared. He didn't want something to consume him like so many others he'd known over his years. Watching people of the lower quarter fall into depression and sorrow had made him swear to himself that he'd never allow himself to wallow in the angst of life for more than a couple of days.

Shaking his head, he began walking in the other direction.

Flynn was headed towards Sodia, so Yuri would continue taking his time. There was no rush, nothing to worry about, because time was on his side. With a swift kick of the tile, the swordsman headed towards the first arch he came to, making a quick turn towards the entrance.

"Thank you Sodia," Flynn commented as he bowed a bit.

His lieutenant gave a swift nod, but still looked unsure, "are you sure you're okay captain? You look strained."

Flynn shook it off, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you again for telling me what happened."

She nodded again, still looking hesitant, but she didn't say anything.

For that, the blonde was grateful. She'd asked so many questions over the course of their conversation that he's had many panic attacks. Each time she'd ask why they happened though, he was unable to tell her. It wasn't that he didn't trust his lieutenant; it was just that he felt the same for her as he did for Yuri. It was the fact that the entire story had so many unbelievable points that he didn't see the necessity to bother someone with it.

Quickly, he left Sodia's small apartment that sat in the middle of the commoner's quarter. He closed the door in a hurry, before she could ask any more questions. It felt a bit rude, but frankly, the blonde was drained, and figured he needed sleep before anything else happened.

He strolled down the steps of the building, reaching the ground in a matter of seconds. He then twisted his head from left to right, making sure he didn't jump out in front of anyone, and then continued his journey towards the castle. He was about halfway down the street when a voice startled him,

"How was the visit?"

Flynn spun quickly at the voice, wishing he had his sword, but once his eyes met the person's, he dropped his guard.

"Yuri, what are you doing here?"

"Estelle told me to get some sleep," he sighed, "but she was interested to see you again."

"What do you mean by that?" the blonde asked defensively.

"You know Estelle," Yuri spoke, a smirk set on his face, "she told me all about what happened."

"She wouldn't," the captain commented.

"You know Estelle, she's a romantic at heart… when she saw me, she couldn't help herself."

"Yuri! It wasn't that bad! All she did was tackle me when I walked into the room!"

"She made it sound much worse than that…"

"She just lost her towel, it wasn't like we were making out or anything!"

"Lost her towel huh? Thanks for the information."

Flynn started to talk, but refrained. He caught on to what Yuri was doing, but sadly, too late, "Nicely played, Lowell."

"Nice expression, Scifo." Yuri smirked a bit, then his face returned to a calmer state, "that's the Flynn I know."

At first, the captain was unsure of what his friend was talking about, but then it hit him. "Yuri, I haven't changed that much… I know I'm not completely like myself, but-"

Yuri cut him off, but not in a violent way, "you're not like yourself at all."

Flynn felt a small emotional stab, but threw it off.

"Flynn, whatever happened to you, it's changed you. I don't know how to fix it, but you're going to have to fix it yourself somehow. It's going to end up hurting a lot of people other than you…"

The blonde knew that Yuri was referencing himself in that statement, but it didn't really matter, "I know that," he commented. "It's just going to take a little bit of time for things to be accomplished."

Yuri gave the blonde a hard stare and Flynn couldn't return it.

"Listen, I can't begin to imagine what you went through, but the fact of the matter is, you can get through it. You always have, you always could."

"Please Yuri…" the captain tried, but was cut off again,

"Flynn, if you're not going to take charge, who is?"

The question cut the blonde deep and the instant feeling of knowing Yuri was right washed him over. The reality was, he didn't want to accept it. He didn't feel ready to take hold of what had happened had deal with it. He wanted to forget it had ever happened and move on with life. Everything in his mind ran in circles, wanting to ignore what was going on, deny it, run away from everything… and let it happen again.

That was the thought that stopped the blonde cold.

Whatever he'd just seen, it was going to happen again.

Six years in the future, Scarlet was going to be finishing his plan to end humanity, and it would be all Flynn's fault.

He shuddered to think that, but it rang true.

"You're right."

The statement seemed to take Yuri off guard, "What?"

"You're right. What I went through… I can't just ignore it now. I have to fight it till the end."

Yuri gave his friend a confused look, but the blonde couldn't return it. He still held fear of looking into the stone gray eyes he knew so well. The eyes matched so many different expressions. It matched all of the ones Yuri showed. His sarcastic faces, his calm expressions and even his determined stare all fit under the huge umbrella his eyes had. They even matched the venomous expressions of Scarlet…

Flynn shuddered visibly, which caused a reaction from his friend,

"Hey Flynn, you okay?"

Thoughts raced inside the blonde's mind, and he had a hard time sorting them out. He tried to keep hold of the good ones, but the muddy blood red world consumed even the brightest of pictures. All he could see was Scarelt's face and the bright blue blastia flashing in his chest.

"Take off your shirt." Flynn said.

Yuri was caught off guard, "What?"

"Take off your shirt."

"In public?"

Flynn shoved Yuri back a bit, so they blended in with the shadows of the building behind them. People passed by on the street, some giving them odd looks, but the rest passing unfazed. The blonde wondered if the people considered it normal for two men to dashing into the shadows after the off handed remark about removing articles of clothing, but he ignored the thought. Instead, he ripped the rest of Yuri's undone shirt open, and worked his hand past the left flap of the dark haired man's shirt, getting a protest as a response.

He brushed the shirt back, seeing nothing but bare skin.

Instant relief flooded the blonde's veins, and he collapsed to the ground.

Yuri seemed obviously surprised, "Flynn… what the hell?"

Instead of an answer though, the swordsman got more crying from his friend. He squatted down awkwardly, patting the blonde on the back.

Sobs racked the captain's body as the pains of the past came out via tears. The hot stream coursed down his face and landed into small puddles on the ground, and for a moment, seeing the water made him cry harder.

Relief washed through him as well as dread.

Yuri wasn't Scarlet, he had to tell himself that. As of now, there was nothing wrong with the world, meaning everything could be fixed.

A part of him though, just wanted to die.

Scarlet was suppose to take over soon, meaning that Flynn had to die shortly after. He was suppose to be the first casualty of war, and for some reason, he wanted to resist fighting back. Everything would make Yuri happy then, even though he'd be betrayed…

"Flynn?"

The blonde jolted upright at the voice of his friend, promptly hitting his forehead against his friends chin.

Both of them let out a howl of pain in unison and sunk to the ground. Cross-legged and gripping their respective wounds, both men were quiet for a moment.

The wind blew carelessly, and the birds chirped their happy melody as they ignored the scene below. The floating sound of children laughing finally reached Flynn's ears, and he held back more tears.

So if he gave up, it would be giving everything else up. No more birds, no more wind, no more children; just constant mind numbing rain and the roar of thunder. There wouldn't be anything left of the peaceful world the blonde knew, it'd all change to the mud riddled world Scarlet controlled.

Eventually, it would mean the death of Estellise, Karol, Elizabeth Mae…

The question suddenly hit him.

She was his and Estellise's child, but when did they do-

"God damn it Flynn, watch where that blonde head of yours goes!" Yuri rubbed his chin a bit then settled his eyes on the captain.

He perked up, looking at his friends stone gray eyes for the first real time since he'd come back from the awful nightmare. The expression the dark haired man wore was nothing like Scarlet would wear, and in the back of the captain's mind; he felt a weight slowly begin to lift.

"I'm sorry." He spoke simply; rubbing his forehead in absent minded pain. He didn't really mind the real pain because it was much better than the emotional pain he'd come to expect.

Yuri didn't respond, so the blonde picked up the conversation from where it left off,

"I can't leave things where they are now, no matter how much I want to give in."

The swordsman still didn't respond, so the explanation continued,

"I wanted to know why I'd gone through what I did, and I expected all of the answers to fall in my lap. When nothing came immediately, I thought I'd gone through all of that because of some person's sick joke."

Using his crystal blue eyes, he looked up at his friend. Yuri sat quietly, his expression showing he was absorbed in what was being explained to him.

That was the swordsman's way. He always absorbed knowledge like a sponge, and he had a knack for putting pieces together. The way he solved problems astounded the blonde, even though they'd known each other since childhood.

The look in his best friend's eyes illustrated the very thing the blonde thought about. His eyes seemed to be calculating something, as if putting pieces of a jig saw puzzle together.

"I really can't explain what I went through those days Yuri, but…" Flynn trailed off, not sure what else to say. He couldn't really talk about what he was experiencing without actually explaining his dream-like state. It wouldn't make sense, and it would probably end up leaving the dark haired man up all night problem solving.

Yuri had never been one to sleep on a problem. He had to get things figured out and sorted before he slept a wink, especially on important decisions or interesting news.

"Part of you doesn't want to fight what you saw then, huh?" Yuri commented almost silently.

The blonde gazed at his friend from behind his ruffled bangs, "something like that."

The dark haired man seemed to ponder the thought, "but you know it's wrong?"

"Yes, it would be wrong to ignore the warning it sent."

"So what was with the dramatic inner debate? If it's as straight forward as that, I don't see where the problem is."

"You wouldn't," the captain commented with a sigh.

"Well, if you saw something here, right now, that you couldn't tolerate, would you fix it?"

"Well, it would depend on what I saw. I certainly couldn't fix a leaky roof in a matter of seconds."

"Sure you could," the swordsman commented, "but that's not what I'm talking about. What if you saw two older kids picking on a younger kid?"

"Well of course I'd stop that!" Flynn spoke, exasperated. "Why wouldn't I? It would be wrong for that child to be bullied by older kids for any reason."

Yuri smirked his knowing smirk, "exactly. You made that decision without even knowing the context of the story, yet you're hesitating on something you know the full details of? It's clearly something that hurts other people, right?"

The blonde waited a moment to respond, "Well, yes."

"Then what's the problem? Why not jump in and fix it?"

"You see…" again, the captain found himself facing several problems. He couldn't tell Yuri the entire story and he couldn't really explain his hesitance. He was scared of what standing up might do. He was nervous that if he did something dramatic, it would end things everywhere.

The best approach could be a subtle one. Not making too many waves, not drawing to much attention and then fixing the problem slowly from within. He wasn't completely sure on the timeframe of Yuri's change, and he didn't know what events led up to it, but he knew he needed to solve the problem somehow.

"I… I'm scared," Flynn finished lamely.

Yuri laughed, "The great Flynn Scifo, scared? What's there to be scared of?"

"Well, it's so up in the air," the blonde said, trying to defend himself, "I don't know when it's suppose to happen or even if it is going to happen-"

He was cut off, "that's because it's the future, Flynn."

The captain gave his friend an odd look, which was returned.

"What?" the dark haired man asked.

"The future? I know that, I'm trying to tell you I can't predict the future."

"Exactly."

It wasn't clicking in his mind, but he knew his friend was on to something.

"Whatever," he said instead of pursuing his wonders. He stood quickly, brushing himself off and giving another rub to his sore head. First a doorknob and then his best friends head, it was almost like something was trying to knock some sense into him.

He threw a look down to his friend, who still seemed to be pondering.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

Yuri looked up at his friend and stood, "thanks."

The two just stood there then, an awkward silence filling the void. Flynn shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Yuri, just promise me something."

The swordsman looked at his friend, "sure…"

"Just don't… don't do anything stupid."

"Stupid? Like all of the other stuff I do?"

"Maybe not stupid… reckless."

"You're telling me to cease being reckless?" The dark haired man threw up his eyebrows in mockery.

"Alright, reckless isn't the right word either, but I mean it, Yuri… don't do anything that you wouldn't do now." Flynn clenched his fists together, feeling his nails biting into his flesh. He couldn't hold his gaze with his friend, so he toss his eyes to the ground.

The small puddles of tears were still settled in the dirt, floating above it like the clouds from the earth.

The clouds were lucky, the blonde found himself thinking, they don't have to deal with everything normal earth dwellers did. He absently wished he was a cloud. Then he could float away from the problem.

It was so unlike him, the thoughts of leaving all of the problems behind, that the blonde kind of shocked himself with such an abstract thought. He wanted to leave so badly because of a dream? He scoffed at himself. It was pretty pathetic how much he'd fallen in a few short days.

He shocked himself more by speaking out loud, "you were a tyrant Yuri. You killed Estellise and Karol… you didn't take any mercy on the people you enslaved and you were so empty."

The blonde shuddered inwardly at the thought. Scarlet had been so drained of anything worthy of mention. His skin, his eyes, his expression, and his voice… anything of mention had melted away in the rain. Flynn didn't want to see Yuri like that again, even if the blonde was suppose to die in the bloody uprising. Even if he eventually became a cloud…

It was silent for a moment, and the blonde almost considered the idea that he'd thought what he's spoken when his friend spoke up,

"I wouldn't become like that."

The captain jumped a bit, then looked into the swordsman's eyes. They were clear now, like he'd come to some sort of understanding.

He'd solved the problem.

"Lots of crap happens Flynn, and when life rains, it pours."

Flynn winced at the reference to the weather,

"But sometimes," Yuri continued, "It doesn't matter how much crap is thrown your way. Sometimes, you've got to fight through all of it, even if it's for one solitary purpose."

Flynn recalled his solitary purpose.

He'd wanted to go home. He constantly thought about the comforts of home, and it'd pulled him through most of his ordeal. And when home didn't work, Flynn focused on helping Estellise and Elizabeth mae so that they could live on in a world that wasn't ruled by Scarlet.

"Flynn, sometimes you're the only person who can pull yourself up and do what's right." The dark haired man looked his friend straight in the eyes, "whatever you're fighting, you've got to fight it head on. No sneaking around, no under the table stuff, you've got to come right out and solve whatever you're facing, even if crap's headed your way."

Despite the slightly vulgar language his friend constantly used, the blonde found himself understanding. Whoever had given him that dream, whatever had bewitched the floating rock in the basement to send him to a place he'd rather not have seen, they were telling him something. Something bad was going to happen soon, and it had to be solved up front. He couldn't stay flush with his rank and still expect to solve the world's problems.

"For some reason, that makes sense." Flynn commented. He felt wet stings run down his cheeks and he half laughed, half sobbed as he noticed what he was doing. He wiped at the tears, trying to stop another ridiculous emotional drama from starting again.

"It makes sense because I'm right."

Flynn wasn't entirely sure if that applied to everything, but he wasn't about to try speaking again.

He could feel the lump in his throat grow as he tried to hold back the tears, and he sniffed just a bit as more thoughts entered into his head.

He needed to start the fight. It was an uphill battle, and whatever was going to happen, he needed to be ready for it. He had to be the first domino to fall otherwise Scarlet would win in the end.

A small thought nagged at his mind. He recalled just a bit earlier, when Yuri had been talking about the future. He'd said 'Exactly' to the comment of 'the future being unpredictable'… just before it finally clicked in his head, Yuri said,

"Who knows what's going to happen, right? We can only guess at the future, but doing so causes us to deny what's going on now. We have to live in the moment Flynn, and that means putting all of your cards on the table."

Finally it was making sense. The statement about the future being random was true. Flynn couldn't say for certain that what he'd seen was going to happen. If he became proactive now, he could avert something that would change the course of history forever.

"Besides," Yuri stated, "the futures unpredictable, right?" He threw a glance to his friend, as if referencing the conversation they'd had only moments ago.

The blonde felt more tears sting his eyes, but they suddenly became easier to hold down. The water wasn't painful anymore; it seemed almost calming as the last of it trickled down his cheeks. He could feel the wind blowing through his mind, brushing out the pain in the memories and only leaving the bare bones. He had what he needed to start his attack. He didn't need anything else, and for some reason, that didn't bother him.

Usually, he needed lot of things to be prepared for an uphill battle, but he felt confidant, that if he stood and fought for as long as he lived, he wouldn't need the fancy equipment he'd always adorned himself with.

He had his strength and his undying memories of the way things were. There wasn't any turning back now, and even though the memories still haunted him at every nervous turn, he wouldn't let them continue to bother him the way they had.

Besides, the future was unpredictable, and no flashy memory was going to change that.

It'd been a glance into what the future could hold, and whatever had given him the vision wanted him to pay attention to the details so it couldn't happen in real life.

Flynn gave a nod, feeling his heart lighten just a bit. He had an emotional battle ahead of him, but that wasn't important right now. What was, was finally making sense of the puzzle he'd been given, and doing something about it.

With a smile, the blonde responded, "right."

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End

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A/N: And that's the end! There are some opened ended questions, but that's the future, right?

I want to thank everyone who read this story and a special thank you goes out to those who reviewed. It was all of you who kept me motivated to continue this story, and ultimately, finish it. Even if no one gets this far (I mean, seriously, it's been about forever since I actually last updated), I'm glad that the entire story is up here for all to read. :) It's pretty sad, finally finishing this story, but I'm extremely thankful to everyone for their continued support.

Thanks again for making my first posting an excellent one!  
Orangepotato


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